


Night Hunts After Dark

by saucyminx



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-25
Updated: 2011-04-25
Packaged: 2017-10-28 05:40:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/304355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saucyminx/pseuds/saucyminx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a hunter, there were things Jared expected to have in his life - a vampire stalker wasn't one of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The Hunter was good. If it weren’t for the fact that Jensen’s Vampiric vision allowed him to see clearly _far_ further than the typical human eye he would have been in trouble. As it was, he was simply wrestling with the hunter for control.

They’d slammed into one another almost in mid-air and it hadn’t been nearly as unpleasant as Jensen had been expecting. As a general rule, since he’d been turned, he found most humans far less than interesting. However, this hunter was _not_ the norm.

He was tall, this young man, tall and strong. Obviously, he was trained to fight if not to hunt vampires. The moment their bodies had collided Jensen had felt how muscular the young man was; felt and quite enjoyed the ripple of his muscles as they spun in the air and landed in a tangle of limbs and weapons on the ground.

A sharp grunt fell from Jared’s lips as an elbow dug hard into his chest and he shifted, throwing his weight forward enough to get the vampire a couple feet away, enough for Jared to jump up and brace himself once more. He’d seen more than his fair share of vampires over the past few years but hardly any of them knew how to handle their powers, most were too young for that.

It was clearly different with this vampire. Jared had just a moment to tense his shoulders before the vampire was up and crashing into him once more. Jared rolled as they slid back, arm snapping out to try and grasp the stake. All it took was one moment of hesitation, if he could knock the creature off his body, Jared would end this.

In the next moment he was up and moving, diving forward for the stake, heart slamming hard into his chest as his fingers curled around the wooden surface. Then the distinctly sharp female scream of his friend echoed from down the alley and Jared looked up, paused. He _knew_ it was these little moments that won and lost fights, and he’d just given the vampire an upper hand.

Jensen saw the hunter hesitate and flew at him. He landed hard against the hunter's back, knee slamming into the small of his back. Jensen's hand covered the back of the young man's head in a flash and slammed it forward into the hard ground when they hit.

He heard the breath whoosh from the hunter's lungs as he passed out.

Smiling, Jensen sprang to a crouch and rolled the man onto his back. A small river of blood was trickling from a wound on his forehead and he swiped a finger through it and licked it off quickly. He could hear the sounds of others approaching and lifted his head to sniff the air. _Hunters_.

He looked back down at his prey, a mess of brown hair covering pale skin. "You _are_ beautiful," Jensen murmured. His dark eyes widened and he straddled the man's hips so he could lean down and draw in a long breath full of the man's scent as the tip of his nose trailed along his warm cheek. His tongue flicked out and lapped at the blood on the man's forehead. _Spicy, sweet and hot_.

There was another loud shuffling from down the street and Jensen's eyes narrowed as he peered off into the darkness. "Idiots," he murmured. But still, taking on more than one potential hunter at a time was never smart. Not even for a vampire who had seen the tail end of more than one century.

Sighing, Jensen leaned down and whispered, "I'll find you again, my sweet. Don't worry."

He _liked_ this hunter. He'd find him again.

Jumping to his feet, Jensen ran down the alley, leaped over a wall and disappeared into the darkness.

-=-=-=-

The door crashed against the wall and Jared flinched, pressing his fingers against his temple. “Jesus Christ Sandy, is knocking a foreign concept to you?” The words were tense and Sandy’s glare made it clear how _unimpressed_ she was. “My head hurts,” Jared whined slightly, hoping it would gain him some sympathy.

Sandy simply snorted and crossed the room, dropping her bag on the couch with a large sigh. “Well, if you would quit acting all _hero_ and wait up for the rest of us, then maybe you wouldn’t get yourself knocked out.”

Pursing his lips, Jared sank back in the arm chair and let his head tilt until he could see the ceiling. “I’ve already told you, that vamp came out of nowhere. I was runnin’ around the building, tryin’ to cut the other ones off.”

“Well I’m pretty sure the vamp that took you down wasn’t part of the crew we were dealing with,” Misha said as he came down the hall, eyes fixed on the book open in his hands.

Jared glanced once at his friend then slid his gaze toward Sandy. They both had to look away from each other quickly to keep from laughing. For whatever reason, Misha seemed to think every single thing there was to learn about vampires could be found in a book. They had all been doing this long enough to know it wasn’t true. “Was he not wearing the gang colors?” Jared ventured, laying his fingers across his mouth to hide his smirk.

Misha shot him a look regardless before dropping down on the couch beside Sandy. “ _No_ Jared, it’s not about that at all. The others were clearly younger, less experienced. Seriously Jared, when was the last time a vampire actually knocked you down during a fight and left you aching almost twenty four hours later?”

It was a valid point and Jared had to fight against the swell of pride he felt at the words. After all, he had no desire to be the leader of their little misfit gang of vampire hunters but he basically was. It sometimes sucked to carry the responsibility but these were his best friends, almost his family, and Jared knew what they were doing was important. “So, he knew how to fight. What’s that mean? He was a boxer before he became undead?”

“Come on Misha, you don’t really think you’re gonna find the answer to _that_ in your book do you?” Sandy smacked her hand on the pages then flopped over onto the man’s arm. “I bet that’s not even a book on vampires. It’s probably like, gay erotica or something.”

“You guys do know the door is wide open right?” Chad finished his entrance by flicking the still open door, causing it to slam into place. “And I’m pretty sure I could hear discussion of vampires from down the hall.”

“Where have you been?” Jared shifted up in his seat, ignoring Chad’s eye roll and looking toward the window and the setting sun. “You realize what time it is?”

“Relax _Thor_ , was just gettin’ food. Y’all can thank me.” Chad stepped up to the coffee table and turned his bag upside down, emptying out a small tidal wave of wrapped tacos and burritos. As one, Jared, Misha, and Sandy looked at the pile then up at Chad, who simply shrugged and grin. “I’ve got mad skills.”

Jared had a theory that free food was, well, free food and he wasn’t stupid enough to pass it up. After all, there were only so many options a college student with meager funds had when it came to eating. And Jared _liked_ food. “Works for me. Grab some beers before you sit?”

Chad huffed and tossed his bag to the side of the room before heading to the kitchen. “Mish? San?”

“Beer,” Misha muttered, half reaching out for a taco and not looking up from his book.

“Sure,” Sandy said quietly and Jared swallowed a snicker. He knew the girl had always had some complex, pretend to be more manly - _one of the guys_ \- and drinking beer with them was one of those things. He had no idea if she really liked the stuff but she never complained.

“So were we discussing Jared getting his ass handed to him before I came home?” Chad sounded all too cheerful as he carried four beers back into the living room, passing Sandy and Jared theirs then flopping half onto Misha’s side.

“I did _not_ get my ass handed to me.” Jared scowled for a moment, flinching when it caused his headache to flare up. “I was workin’ on saving your lame ass and the thing just came out of nowhere. He was itchin’ for a fight apparently.”

“Or, you know, dinner.” Sandy shrugged, speaking around a mouthful of taco. She smiled innocently at Jared before taking a long drink of beer. “Seriously though, he was completely prepared to feed from you. And he was alone. They’re _never_ alone around here.”

Jared frowned, looking down so Sandy wouldn’t see how he’d been thinking the same thing all day. If there was one thing he knew about their town, it was that vampires seemed to consider it a breeding ground. It always started the same way, one vampire would make a mate, who would go on to change all their friends and the next thing they knew, they were killing off half the cheerleading squad from their last year of high school all because some pretty girls had thought they’d be just fine living pretty forever.

Then there was the vampire last night, who’d been stronger than Jared could have anticipated. His aching body was a testament to that. The last thing they needed in town were vampires that actually knew how to use their super human abilities. Jared would never admit it out loud but being caught off guard the night before had put his life more at risk than it had been since they started doing this their freshman year of high school. And he was pretty sure his friends weren’t ready for a bigger challenge.

“I don’t think he’s local,” Misha murmured, glancing up at the silence that lingered after. “Well come on, he was in the slums. If he was local, he would know there’s hardly any human traffic down there at night. He was probably tracking some other vamps, maybe figuring they’d lead him to easy prey.”

“Now see, isn’t he just a little genius?” Chad laughed, nearly dropping his taco as he shifted around to ruffle his hand through Misha’s dark, curly locks.

Jared looked away before the boy’s lips met and picked at his burrito, considering Misha’s words. “I have a feeling he doesn’t _like_ easy prey. The way he fought last night, I don’t know, just seems like he was...” Jared waved his hand dismissively, rethinking telling his friends his mildly paranoid thoughts.

“He was what?” Sandy crumbled a wrapper between her palms and tossed it at Chad’s face before he could kiss his boyfriend once more. “Come on guys, you have a bedroom for a reason.”

“What do you think he was doing, Jared?” Misha asked curiously, finally closing his book and laying it on Chad’s lap, snatching up his own taco instead.

Jared stalled by finishing his food, taking large bites that had the three on the couch rolling their eyes. When he’d finally washed it all back with a long swig of beer he shrugged and gave in to the urge to say more. “Seemed like, he knew he’d get a good fight by jumping me. Like, maybe he _enjoys_ fighting for his meal.”

It was quiet for at least a minute and Jared was just beginning to regret the words when Chad cleared his throat. “Fuck. All we need are some vamps out there that get some sick perverse pleasure out of killing. Least most of the ones we take down still seem to have enough conscious left to feel mildly guilty about it.”

“That speaks of age,” Misha pointed, lips curved down in a frown. Jared didn’t like the uncertain feeling about the entire idea so he took comfort in the familiarity of that look. It was Misha’s _thinking_ face. “We should probably stick together for a while. The vamp might have strength and years but two is still gonna be better than one.”

“I was gonna go out alone tonight.” Jared shrugged, trying his best, most innocent smile when three pairs of eyes snapped to him. “Just for an hour! Two, tops. Some of those vamps in the crew got away last night and I wanted to finish them off before they could change anyone else and rebuild their numbers.”

“But what about the test in Econ tomorrow?” Sandy sighed and shook her head. “You said you were studying tonight. We agreed not every single night.”

Those were the rules, sure, but Jared hadn’t been following them for a long time. He just, felt better, after he’d patrolled for a couple hours; even more so when he was by himself and didn’t constantly have to watch his back and his friend’s. Judging from their glares though, he wouldn’t win any sort of argument about the subject. “Fine. Fine, I won’t. Just hate the idea of leaving things unfinished.”

“Don’t worry Jay,” Chad leaned forward, slapping Jared’s leg. “What’s the one thing we know for sure?”

“There will always be more vampires,” Misha offered, smiling sadly at Jared. “And I’m pretty sure they’ll be there tomorrow too.”

“Yeah yeah.” Jared nodded and climbed out of the chair. “Got a headache anyway. I’m just gonna turn in early, see y’all in the morning.”

Jared didn’t bother rushing to his room, not wanting to draw the attention of his friends. He knew they all did this for the same reason, they worried about their town, they hated the things that had taken people from them, and they wanted it to stop. But sometimes... Jared couldn’t help feeling like maybe he cared just a _little_ bit more.

When Jared was ten his older brother had disappeared, never come home from a friend’s house, and back then Jared hadn’t understood what that meant. Five years later he was walking home late from the library one night and came face to face with his once good friend and next-door neighbor, Tom. That Tom had been nothing like his friend though and Jared had learned the harsh reality of their world.

Out of all the cities in Texas, theirs had the absolute highest death rate as well as the highest missing persons rate. Jared wasn’t sure how much of a difference four college kids could really make fighting vampires, but damn if Jared wasn’t going to try.

So he flipped his light out and closed his door, slipping under the blankets and staring up at the ceiling. Jared tried to think of nothing as he waited the couple of hours until his friends went to their rooms. Sandy called it meditation, Jared just knew thinking sometimes _hurt_ so he’d focus on the fight instead.

The sound of music playing on the other side of the wall had Jared sitting up. Chad and Misha were in their room, which meant Sandy would be in hers as well - she’d always been obsessed with studying with those earphones on that canceled out all other noises. Jared considered it his luck, because being his height meant he didn’t come with natural sneaking out abilities. Not unless he was sneaking into some fight or something.

Ten minutes later Jared was out on the sidewalk, crossing the street to the park in front of their apartment building. It was a generally unspoken rule not to go out in the nighttime. Not a lot of people knew what happened in their town but enough seemed to get that night wasn’t a safe time. It tended to mean that finding vampires was only as hard as getting close enough to have them pick up your scent.

Halfway through the park he slipped the stake free from his back pocket, not foolish enough to let something catch him unprepared. He wanted to _kill_ one of the creatures, if only to prove to himself that the slip up from the night before was just a onetime thing. Jared gripped his stake just a little tighter, ready for a fight.

Jensen dropped to the ground behind the hunter and knocked the stake from his hand before circling his arm around the man's neck and yanking him back to completely set him off balance. The instant his arms tightened enough that the man was struggling to suck in oxygen, Jensen laughed softly. "Well, hello again, Hunter."

 _Shit_. Jared had told himself he wasn’t going to be caught off guard and here he was, less than fifteen minutes outside his home and already in danger. Clenching his jaw, Jared knocked his elbow back, attempting to shake the vampire enough to step away. He focused on taking shallow breaths through his nose, trying to store enough oxygen to get away.

The hunter's elbow actually pushed Jensen back a little and he tightened his grip for long enough that the human had to know he meant business. Tilting his head slightly, Jensen ran his lips down the back of the man’s ear. "Did you know that once I've tasted someone I can find them anywhere? All these smells and sounds and I can _hear_ your heartbeat.”

Jensen slid his free hand around to press over the man's heart and pat it slowly. "You're a _real_ hunter, aren't you? Steady pulse, slow rhythm. You're even conserving your breath and trying to plot how to get away right?" His tongue flicked out to taste the sweat that was beading along the man's neck.

Something cold slithered down Jared’s spine - not fear, disgust maybe - and he wrenched roughly in the vampire’s grip, gaining a few inches of leeway. Of course the vampire had the distinct advantage at this point and Jared had to consider the option of fleeing - and whether that was even possible.

“Get-” Jared choked on the word, cold fingers snagging around his throat and dragging him back once more. “Off,” he hissed and forced himself not to squirm again, not sure how long the vampire would keep his grip _just_ on the loose enough side to allow him air.

"Oh, I _like_ you," Jensen murmured. Scraping a fang down the muscles cording in the hunter's neck, he laughed softly. He _wanted_ this human. He watched, eyes widening as blood beaded along the scrape in the man's flesh, flicked his tongue out to sweep up the nectar and then dropped his arms and ran.

The thing about being his age was he could move faster than any human could see. It was a gift that Jensen relished. From the peak of a hill a quarter of a mile away he crouched, hidden in the shadows and watched his hunter.

Jared staggered forward, hand instantly slapping up to his neck. When he pulled back there was a smear of blood, not enough to indicate a full bite but enough he knew he’d have to go home now. In his current condition he was like live bait. Literally.

Annoyance flared through him and he couldn’t help looking over his shoulder, eyes narrowed to search through the darkness. He had no idea why this vampire was fucking with him. Clearly the creature could kill him easily, he’d already proved that, but it seemed instead all he wanted was to play some type of game with Jared. Like he was some fucking mouse and the vampire was a bored house cat.

Nothing about the feeling settled well with Jared. Especially as he quickly did a mental evaluation of his body and realized he was _hard_. “Jesus Christ,” Jared spat, spinning on his heels and stalking quickly through the dark shadow of tall trees. Jared could feel _something_ simmering in his chest, like the beginning of an obsession or something. He was going to _kill_ that vampire, just to prove he wasn’t a toy to be played with.

“Fuckin’ vampires,” Jared growled low under his breath, massaging along the ache resounding in his neck. He just barely resisted the urge to check over his shoulder as he moved, just in case the vampire was watching. Jared wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

-=-=-=-

Jared slowly pushed the apartment door open, eyes darting around the dark living room. It was still early enough Sandy could be out in the kitchen on a snack run and the last thing he needed was her seeing the blood on his neck. She’d freak and make too big of a deal about it, he was too annoyed to deal with that.

When it seemed no one was around he slid inside and silently closed the door, turning the lock and heading quickly down the hall. There was still music playing in Chad and Misha’s room and Jared shook his head once before stepping into the bathroom. The cut - more of a scrape really - wasn’t that bad but Jared still cleaned it quickly, like just having the vampire’s tooth on his skin could somehow infect him.

Part of Jared felt like going out again but his muscles were aching from the fight the night before and the lack of oxygen he’d had earlier. He’d never been so _annoyed_ with a vampire before.

Huffing out a breath, Jared rolled his eyes at his reflection and turned, heading quickly down the hall to his bedroom and slipping inside. He rested against the door for a moment, exhaling slowly as if it could shake the feeling from his shoulders, then reached out to flip the light on and turn toward his room.

“Fuck,” Jared sucked in a sharp breath as his eyes instantly landed on the man - _vampire_ \- sitting just outside his open window. Instantly his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, fingers curling into fists at his side. “Get the fuck away from me.”

"What's your name?" Jensen shifted in his crouch flipping the stake he'd picked up and watching it flip end over end twice before it landed at the hunter's feet.

There was something really fucking ironic about the vampire bringing his stake back and Jared huffed, kicking it out of the way. “We’re not having a conversation. You can just go find someone else to stalk.”

"A little bitter that I've handed you your ass twice? What's your name?" Jensen licked his lips, eyes taking in the beautiful colour of the man's eyes. His pupils were ringed with brown that faded off to green, his cheeks flushed and Jensen could _hear_ his heart. _Now_ that muscle was pumping blood fast through the man's veins.

Jared knew the vampire couldn’t come into his room and the last thing he wanted to do was show this vampire how he might feel in any way - which was currently annoyed beyond belief and irritated. He turned and crossed the room, kicking his shoes off into the closet. “Go ahead and hang out there all night. I’m not the one who bursts into flame at sunrise.”

"I like the taste of your blood. I'm going to have more. It's just a question of whether I take it - or you _give_ it." Jensen looked out over the dark city and dangled his leg over the edge of the sill. He could _sense_ exactly where the hunter was and wasn't concerned at all about being injured. Perhaps he should be, but he was more concerned about getting what he wanted.

“That’s-” Jared cut off sharply from the word, shaking his head as he quickly pulled his shirt off and reached into his drawer for a clean one. One the vampire _hadn’t_ touched. “Keep fucking dreaming. If you’re trying to scare me it’s not working, so just _get lost_.” Jared considered knocking on the wall to get Misha and Chad’s attention, but they weren’t as capable of remaining calm during situations like these. And it wasn’t like Jared was really in danger at the moment.

Laughing, Jensen leaned in as close as he could to the warmth of the window. His eyes trailed over the muscles he could see in the hunter's back, his flesh was tanned and looked smooth in the light. A shiver of _want_ worked its way through Jensen's body and his smile darkened. "I always get what I want," he said quietly.

Jared rolled his eyes as he slid his shirt on, even more annoyed with the fact that he was _still_ talking to the vampire. His fingers moved over his jeans and he kicked out of them a moment later before turning and crossing the room, stopping two feet from the window. “You better get used to the idea of that not being true,” he said as quiet and cold as he could make it. “I am not anyone’s to _get_.”

"Usually takes me a little longer to get a ... man's clothes off. But then, I've never _had_ a hunter before. See you soon." Jensen lingered long enough to get another look at the hunter's profile then dropped off the window sill.

A two-story leap to the ground was nothing to him. His gaze moved to the horizon and he estimated how much time he had to hunt. It was easy in that city, and yet something told him whatever blood he found wouldn't sate his hunger.

Jared clenched his jaw, nostrils flaring as the vampire’s words burned through him. There was something far too close to shame on his cheeks - like a nagging voice in his head saying, _why the fuck did you get undressed Jared_? A low groan of annoyance rose in his chest and he stepped forward, slamming the window shut and flicking the lock.

Not like it really seemed to matter. Apparently he seemed to be on the vampire’s radar. And Jared was pretty sure that was a very _bad_ thing.

-=-=-=-

This was what Jared needed.

The stake twisted under his fingers and Jared’s arm snapped out, body driving hard forward. In one quick motion he drove the point hard into the heart of the vampire before him, stepping back in time to keep from getting ash all over his jeans. He _knew_ he was completely capable of handling this, the vampire thing.

“Jare! Behind you!” Sandy called in warning and Jared turned enough to watch her duck before he was spinning, capturing the oncoming vampire with an arm around the chest.

The creature went sailing down to the floor and Jared slammed his stake down through his heat. When he glanced up he caught Misha’s slightly wide eyes and grinned. Okay, maybe he was putting on more of a show than usual, but Jared figured he had some damage to be undone. And killing these vamps was so much more satisfying then even sparing a thought to the stupid, green eyed vamp that was stalking him.

However impressive the nest of vampires had been when they’d broken in, Jared was disappointed with how easily they went down. He’d taken out at least half, his three friends getting the rest, and Jared was still itching to fight off more of his aggravation. A quick scan over his friend’s faces told him they’d survived the battle almost unscathed and Jared grinned, bouncing back a couple steps.

“See! _This_ is why we do this. _This_ is-” Jared cut off moments before the stake in his grip was pulled free. He watched Sandy’s eyes widen, the three moving a few steps forward as one as Jared was pulled back hard against cold, hard muscle.

Jensen's lips twisted into a dark smile and he leaned in close to Jared's hair. As he breathed in the scent of shampoo, their evening meal, the air outside, the city - he caught a strand of hair between his lips for a few moments. A hum of contentment slipped past his lips even as Jared twisted and fought against his arm.

Jensen pressed the very tip of the stake to the throbbing pulse in the hunter's neck and turned his gaze slowly toward the other hunters. "Which one of you _pathetic_ creatures is going to tell me this fine specimen's name."

A moment after his eyes had closed Jared snapped them open again, glaring at his friends with as much heat as he could. It was a look that clearly said, _tell him and die_ and he could tell by the way their faces fell that they understood. A hiss escaped from his lips when the sharp point pressed _just_ a little harder and Jared had to stop struggling so he didn’t accidentally puncture himself.

“But Ja-”

“Sandy!” Jared snapped the girl’s name, his eyes narrowing. The absolute _last_ thing he wanted was this vampire knowing his name. It was bad enough that he knew what he did about him.

"The thing about being a few centuries old is that I have remarkable strength. You ... people see the point of this stake? It's right against that lovely vein in your friend's neck that will just send out a gush of blood. Just a flick of my wrist and he's dead. Not one of you could get over here fast enough to do a single thing about it." Jensen allowed himself a few moments to slide his nose through Jared's hair as he pressed his hips forward.

When he felt Jared's body stiffen he laughed softly. "Now. I'm being polite. But, I have very little patience. What is this man's name?" Focusing his stare on the woman he let the smile slide off his face completely. "Sandy. Tell me his name or I'm going to slam this right through his neck."

“Oh god, I can’t-”

“Sandy, don’t you dare,” Jared’s words sounded far to desperate this time, the very idea of the body pressing up against him making his first clench, blood boil. How the hell did he keep allowing this to happen to him?

“Centuries?” Misha repeated in a shocked whisper, side stepping until he was beside Chad and the man was sliding slightly in front of him. “There’s no point in even trying Ja-”

“Misha, shut _up_.” Jared shot a glare to the man, swallowing thickly when the stake’s point pressed forward.

“So what? You can tell him all of our names but yours is off limits?” Chad’s protective side flared and he slid completely in front of Misha, arm behind him. His gaze moved from Jared to the vampire, stance widening. “We tell you, and you let him go?”

"You tell me in five seconds and don't jam this through his neck. Deal?" Jensen tilted his head slightly and slid his free hand down over the hunter's abs and tucked his fingers _just_ under the waistband of his jeans. _Oh_ his flesh was just as smooth as it had looked the night before.

He turned his lips to Jared's ear, eyes still locked on the other hunters. "Five..."

“Shit.” Chad’s eyes grew saucer wide, gaze flickering between Jared and the vampire.

“Don’t,” Jared whispered, though by this point he didn’t see what the point was. It just felt, like he’d _rather_ be dead then have this vampire know his name, use it against him somehow.

As the deep echo of _four_ filled the warehouse Sandy stepped forward, hands digging down on her hips. “Oh Jesus, this is stupid. Jared. His name is Jared. Now let him _go_.”

The stake flicked back instantly and Jensen smiled. "Was that so difficult? You people really have to explore your priorities. Now. You three. Back the _fuck_ off."

Jensen's fingers slid lower, his palm feeling the brush of downy hair below Jared's belly button. " _Jared_ here and I would like a little privacy."

“Your fucking _ass_ -”

“Chad,” Jared groaned and shook his head, breathing deep to keep from snapping and fighting out of the touch of cold fingers. Now that the vampire had what he wanted, Jared knew his friends weren’t of any use to him. He wasn’t foolish enough to think the vampire would spare them for any reason, especially if they got in his way. “Just go.”

“No, Jared, we’re not going anywhere.” Sandy rolled her shoulders back, trying to give more height to her short stature. She glared at the vampire, eyes narrowing in a way that would make Jared a little intimidating if he was on the receiving end of it. “Let him go and we’ll let you go.”

Jensen let out a full laugh. "Do you really think you have the ability to kill me?" His lips smoothed over Jared's ear. "She's a feisty one, I bet she'll taste almost as sweet as you. You’ve got one chance, _Jared_. Get your friends to leave now, or I’ll kill them."

Something tight and sickening caused Jared’s stomach to twist and his defenses wavered just slightly, enough to have a slow tremor to snake down his spine. “Guys, go _home_. I mean it. Just get the fuck out of here.”

“But Jare-”

“For fuck’s sake Sandy, just listen to me. Once. Please.” Jared’s gaze settled on the girl and he tried for a different technique, forcing a small smile on his lips. “He won’t hurt me, okay? You know if he wanted me dead he would have done it already.”

“I can’t believe this,” Sandy whispered but she slid back a step, shaking her head slowly from side to side.

“Chad, get ‘em home safe. I- I’ll see you later. Go on.” Jared could only focus on his friends leaving, getting out of harm’s way. It felt like he didn’t breathe the entire time it took for them to exit out the back door of the warehouse, Chad’s arm around Sandy’s waist to drag her backwards out the door.

The minute they were gone Jared spun, knocking the vampire back and stumbling back. He could still feel the haunting imprint of cool fingers on his skin and he was more than a little aware how hopelessly screwed he was. “Don’t you fuckin’ dare touch my friends,” he growled quietly, eyes shifting around to find something he could use as a make shift weapon.

Jensen took a few steps back and smiled as he flipped the stake up into the air. He could _smell_ the hunter from where he was standing and his lashes fluttered slightly as he drew the scent in. "So. You and I have a ... difference of opinion. Shall we call it that?"

Jared’s brows lifted in disbelief and he snorted a humorless laugh, arms sliding across his chest as he stepped back once more. “Oh yeah. We have a _difference_ of opinion. Sure.” Jared rolled his eyes and tilted his head to the side slightly, straining to hear the sound of a car. Anything to know his friends were on their way to safety.

"I want you. You're going to be mine. You think you're not - but you'll get over that soon enough." Jensen closed the distance between them before Jared's eyes were back on him. He slammed into the hunter and the momentum of their bodies carried them both back until Jared crashed against the wall.

The hunter's breath was so hot on Jensen's cheek and he closed his eyes as Jared struggled against him. "Oh," he almost moaned. "You _do_ feel so good when you do that."

The words were enough to have Jared instantly stilling. The last thing he wanted to do was encourage the vampire. They were nearly pressed together head to foot and Jared felt unpleasantly warm all over. There was no real way to struggle free, the vampire had him pinned, so Jared tilted his head back in attempt at some distance.

“Who the hell are you?” He finally asked in a tense whisper, mind reeling with ideas to escape. If he could get away, especially with a name, maybe Misha really could find something in his books about the vampire. After all, he’d said he was centuries old. And that was so much easier to think about than the hard press of flesh and muscle against him.

Jensen widened his stance so he could press his hips forward and slid his leg between Jared's. The pressure was tantalizing and Jensen could feel pleasure swirling to life within him. "Jensen Ross Ackles," he whispered against the hunter's cheek.

Each time Jared sucked in a deep breath of air it pressed them closer together and Jensen was overcome by the sensation of heat. Humans were usually warm, but this hunter was almost scorching. He slid a hand carefully up the man’s arm until he could grip his jaw tightly. “I can _smell_ that you like this. The heat of your body, the sweat. I can hear your pulse racing.”

The feel of the vampire’s - _Jensen’s_ \- cold breath on his skin, almost across his lips, caused Jared to clench his eyes shut. He hated that this was true, that his body _was_ responding. It was traitorous, the heat that curled through him, and as the vampire jerked his jaw slightly, Jared opened his eyes and glared down at him.

“God you’re irritating,” he kept his voice low, words tight and tense. “If you supposedly want me so badly why don’t you just fucking kill me and get it over with?”

"Who mentioned anything about wanting you dead?" Jensen rolled his hips forward, his entire body a wave of muscle and pressure against the hunter. "What I want, is a mate. Willing or not, I'll get one and _you_ \- well, you are quite enticing."

His hand slid to Jared's throat applying pressure until the man had no choice but to lean back against the wall. As soon Jared's throat was bare Jensen shuddered and leaned up to press a cool kiss over the vein.

Something close to panic surged through Jared, the very idea of being turned into a vampire enough to make his heart skip a beat. With the surge of adrenaline that came hand in hand with the panic Jared shoved hard forward, knocking Jensen back enough to slip free and stumble away from the wall.

His eyes landed on the stake that had rolled toward the middle of the warehouse and Jared didn’t think, simply pushed himself forward, running as fast as possible. He had to do this, gain the upper hand, because he wanted the vampire dead at his hand. And all those things he suggested, Jared wouldn’t let them come true.

Jensen bolted after the hunter, mildly surprised at himself for being distracted enough to allow him to escape. Being attracted to the hunter was clearly going to be Jensen's downfall if he didn't pay attention.

He launched himself at Jared's legs, his arms tangling with the hunter's long limbs and sending them both crashing to the warehouse floor. The instant they skidded to a halt the scent of the hunter's blood was strong in the air and Jensen growled softly as his fangs lengthened.

“Get- _off me_.” Jared struggled under the too tight grasp of the vampire’s arms around him. He hated not being strong enough to get away, along with all the other things he was currently loathing. Top of the list was this, Jensen, who was the cockiest vampire Jared had ever encountered. Which was saying a lot. “Let me _go_.”

The frustration in the man's voice did something strange to Jensen; he felt it slither inside of him in a way nothing else ever really had. Jared was almost hurt; disappointed perhaps - and yet, there was so much fight in him. Jensen could feel the tremble in his body.

Pressing the hunter down _hard_ against the filthy floor, Jensen kissed the nape of the man's neck. He whispered against that flesh, "An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.”

He nipped at the back of Jared's neck and lapped softly at the seeping wound.   
_God_ that blood. He could drown himself in it and never get enough. "Soon, Jared," he murmured.

-=-=-=-

“I just can’t believe how god damn _annoying_ he was,” Jared nearly growled the words as he collapsed down onto the grass beside Sandy, slinging his book bag onto his lap.

“We know Jared. You’ve said it like, thirty times at least since that night.” Sandy’s brows rose, her lips lifting in a slight smirk.

“No no, by all means Jared, please tell us all again how annoying Jensen the vampire is because I think I’m still a little confused on the subject.” Chad rolled his eyes, shifting on the grass so his head fell into Misha’s lap.

Jared scowled, annoyed at being called out. Just like he was still annoyed at the stupid ass vampire he couldn’t stop thinking about. Almost two days had passed since the warehouse and Jared just kept reliving the moment over and over, seeing all his mistakes. It had absolutely nothing to do with the way his skin grew all heated and his heart picked up speed when he remembered the feel of the vampire pinning him to the wall, rolling their bodies together.

“It’s just- _god_ I fucked up and-”

“I found him!” Misha called out, interrupting Jared and surprising Chad enough to have him leap up from his lap. The man’s smile softened and he shrugged before looking back down. “I found him, Jensen Ross Ackles, in this journal thing.”

Jared shifted closer, his eyes widening slightly. This is what they needed. If they could read up on the vampire, maybe they could learn something about a weakness. Jared could work with weaknesses, he’d show that cocky S.O.B. that he was not easily intimidated. “Well? What’s it say about him?”

Misha held up a finger, his eyes moving over the pages before him. “Whoa,” he muttered after a few minutes, shaking his head and looking up. “He wasn’t lying about the centuries thing. According to this, he was turned at the beginning of the 1800’s. And um, it says the legend is that the minute he woke as a vampire he turned and killed his maker.”

“Really? I thought that... you know, the maker thing, I thought it was special to them. You know like, some kind of sacred thing.” Sandy frowned, glancing over her shoulder at the students passing nearby then scooting a little closer.

“I guess that wasn’t the case here. Or so the legend is, I’m sure he hasn’t exactly sat down to give an interview.” Misha’s brows drew together, his eyes still moving over the pages before him. “God, he has quite the reputation. Some of these things about him... I mean, they’re all legend, so we can’t say what’s for sure true, but this one account here says he once killed an entire _village_ of people.”

“Jesus Christ,” Sandy whispered, eyes wide with shock. “A whole village?”

Misha nodded, swallowing thick enough that Jared almost thought he could hear him. “Women and children and everything. This journal was composed in roughly 1850 and by the writer’s estimates, Jensen had already killed nearly a thousand people.”

For a long few minutes they sat in silence, trying to absorb this new information. They’d never met a vampire quite so evil, and certainly not as old. Jared felt the slightest swirl of nerves in his stomach, fear prickling along his skin. How could he possibly take down a creature that had at least two hundred years’ experience over him?

He stared down at his jeans, trying to process what it meant that a ruthless, brutal, killer was currently obsessed with him. And seemingly very intent on making Jared _his_. Jared. Who had no real experience with men. Who _killed_ vampires. And, who’d been struggling with a painful hard on any time he thought too long about the way Jensen threw him around.

“Jare?” Sandy whispered, her hand coming to rest over his arm. Jared looked up and found all three looking at him, concern on their faces. “We’ll stop him. We won’t let him hurt you. He’s not gonna change you. We’ll stop this, together.”

Jared forced a small smile for the sake of his friends and nodded, laying his hand over Sandy’s. “Yeah, I know. We’re always together.” Even as he said it Jared could feel the untruth to the words. He couldn’t put his friends at risk when it came to Jensen, and Jared had a feeling the vampire would have no problem taking three more innocent lives if it meant he got Jared.

No, this was something Jared would have to take care of on his own, and soon.

-=-=-=-

It was after midnight when Jared crept down the hall and slipped out of the apartment. They hadn’t gone hunting in a few nights and Jared hadn’t been able to sneak away before falling asleep. Now though, he knew he had to go. He was completely healed from his past encounters with the vampire and had worked out twice as much as usual, hoping the additional muscle would give him an advantage.

Outside of his apartment building, Jared didn’t bother looking up, bracing his shoulders instead. He had a pretty good feeling it wouldn’t take the vampire long to find him. And this time Jared wasn’t just going to let the creature control things. This time he’d fight back with everything he had.

Jensen followed silently behind Jared as he crossed the street and headed into the park. The man was surprisingly quiet for a human; his long legs graceful as he strolled. Confidence made the man stand tall, his head swiveling to take in his surroundings with practiced ease. Jensen smiled. Even _now_ , Jared was defiant and confident.

As soon as he decided to catch up with the hunter it only took Jensen a few steps to quicken his pace. Heading off Jared deeper in the dimly lit park, he waited in the circle of one of the weak street lamps, staring at the hunter. "Hello, Jared," he said softly when he was sure the man could hear him. “You’re looking for me.”

“You’re cocky and it’s annoying,” Jared said flatly, not denying Jensen’s words mainly because it wasn’t a question. He wasn’t in the mood to play games with the vampire. He stopped just outside the light, bracing his shoulders for an attack he expected.

Jensen shifted his weight and studied Jared's face. His small upturned nose, high cheek bones and skin flushed by the cool night air; Jensen had committed it all to memory. "I suppose you think you've come to kill me?"

“Well I’m certainly not here to ask who does your hair.” Jared rolled his eyes, arms lifting to fold over his chest then dropping at his sides. He had to keep his stance normal, not show Jensen any sort of feeling on the matter.

Jensen's lips twitched into a smile and he held his arms out to the side, motioning Jared forward. "So? We gonna have another round? I _very_ much enjoy wrestling with you."

Out of instinct Jared stepped back, jaw clenching tight at the way his skin prickled with awareness at Jensen’s words. All it did was annoy him more. “So because you are capable of killing thousands of people you think you’re completely unstoppable, right?”

Rolling his eyes, Jensen dropped his hands. "Thousands of people? Don't throw numbers like that around as though they mean something. How many people do you think human kind has been responsible for killing? Over sixty million people were killed in World War Two alone and I can tell you from experience that there were no vampires involved in _that_ debacle."

Narrowing his eyes, Jensen stepped closer. "What do you _want_ , Jared? Aren't you afraid to be out here in the open without your scoobies?"

“Don’t talk about them,” Jared snapped and forced himself to stay in place, not wanting Jensen to see any type of weakness. “And for your information, _I’m_ not responsible for those deaths. You, on the other, are completely responsible for every single life you took. And before you start lecturing me again on human _debacles_ , don’t forget you used to be one. There really is no high road for you to take here.”

Jared lost out on the urge to move so he stepped back again, fingers curling into tight fists at his sides.

"Well, we seem to be at a bit of an impasse then, don't we?" Jensen stepped closer, walking slowly and deliberately. "I'm going to have you one way or another and you want to kill me. A match made in Hell, wouldn't you say?"

Jared huffed out a breath and rolled his eyes. “I bet you just think you’re so clever.” Tensing his back, Jared managed not to move back even as the vampire moved closer. He was _taller_ , god. And sure it was only by a few inches, and the vampire’s body spoke of muscles and experience, Jared was by no means weak. “Why me? What the hell do you think is so great about me?”

Jensen barely fought off a shudder as he stepped close enough to feel the heat radiating off the hunter's body. "You're strong, beautiful, sensual." He tilted his head and drew in a deep breath as the temperature of Jared's body was heightened by his words.

Smiling, Jensen stilled so close to Jared; _so_ very close. "You move with grace, more so than the others and you're smart, defiant. You'd make a marvelous mate."

 _Something churned in Jared at the word _mate_ and he stepped back, another, half tempted to turn and run. “I won’t ever be your...” He trailed off with a wave of his hand then scoffed, shaking his head. “Fuck this. Look, leave me alone. Leave my friends alone. Hell, get out of town for all I care. The creepy, stalking, vampire thing is totally clichéd.”_

Going against all his better instincts Jared turned from the vampire and started down the sidewalk once more. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, because not killing Jensen? It seemed like a very _stupid_ idea.

A sharp anger sliced through Jensen's chest at being dismissed. Closing his eyes for a few moments he listened to Jared's heartbeat speed a little faster. The man was more scared than he wanted Jensen to know.

He was _on_ Jared seconds after he started moving. His fingers tangled tight into the hunter's long hair and snapped his head back, elongating the pale flesh of his throat. Both of Jared's wrists were caught in Jensen's hand and he dragged his cool lips down the scorching flesh. “You think I can’t take what I want?”

Jared’s eyes closed as he forced himself to focus, to calm the shaky inhale of his breath. In some ways he knew it was pointless, Jensen would be able to hear his heartbeat, the pulse of his blood, would probably even feel the heat crawling through him, but Jared would trying his damnedest to hide all of those things. “I will die fighting you then,” Jared whispered, twisting his wrist and struggling against a flinch when Jensen’s grip tightened.

“Why are you fighting so hard? What is it that frightens you so badly?” Jensen’s lips dragged down the length of Jared’s neck and he couldn’t resist tasting the skin again. “Would it be so bad spending an eternity feeling how you feel right now? You think I can’t hear your pulse racing?”

“You have no idea what I’m feeling now. We both know I can’t control the way my body reacts.” It was a pretty lame excuse really but Jared _was_ feeling the racing pulse, his head swimming, dizzying. “Why would I want eternity with a killer?”

"I'm not a killer, I'm a hunter _just_ like you Jared. What about all the lives you've dispatched? That's killing and it's killing for no other reason that because you hate what something _is_. At least when I've killed in the past it's been for hunger. I didn't always know that there were alternative." Jensen mouthed his way back up to Jared's jaw and along to his lips. The hunter's breath was sweet and Jensen's eyes closed for a few moments.

The idea of the vampire _kissing_ him was enough to make everything explode in Jared and he surged forward with a burst of adrenaline, twisting hard and sharp, knocking the vampire away and stumbling back. In the next moment he lurched toward Jensen, hands curling hard in the vampire’s shirt. Jared had always known he was strong but this power he felt, it was almost surreal, like the vampire’s words had sent a jolt of electricity through him.

Spinning, Jared slammed Jensen hard into the trunk of a large oak just off the sidewalk. He was panting hard enough his chest ached and he dug his nails hard into the vampire’s chest.

"You _like_ this," Jensen pushed his hips forward. "You're turned on, just give in. It's a waste of time to fight this - you want it just as much as I do, you just won't admit it." Leaning back against the rough bark of the tree, Jensen laughed softly. He could see the struggle so clearly on Jared's face.

“Shut _up_ ,” Jared spat, yanking Jensen hard from the tree and shoving him back against it. Those words couldn’t be true, Jared couldn’t even stand the idea, and he jerked the vampire forward and back again. As if he could really hurt him like this, or knock him out just long enough to get his stake.

Growling softly, Jensen slapped Jared's arms out of the way snatched at the hunter's shirt and spun them. He slammed Jared back hard against the tree. He felt all the warm air puff past Jared's lips and closed his eyes as the scent of the hunter swirled around him. "I _will_ have you."

When he opened his eyes, all Jensen could see was the glint of darkness in Jared's eyes. Letting out a small growl he crushed his mouth over the hunters, fingers snatching up a handful of hair and _making_ Jared turn into the kiss.

The vampire’s lips were surprisingly cool but it was more the action itself that had Jared temporarily frozen in place. It didn’t matter if those lips were full and soft, Jared still felt the burn from the pull at his hair and _fuck_ , this was a vampire. This creature went against all the things he stood for.

His hands pressed hard into Jensen’s chest, muscles tensing as he struggled, trying to squirm free. But the vampire had him up against the tree and even kicking out at Jensen didn’t knock him free. Jared groaned as Jensen’s fingers tightened in his hair and slid his hands up to the vampire’s neck, tightening and pushing.

A low moan rumbled up through Jensen's body and he pressed his thigh against the hard heat at Jared's crotch. Forcing his tongue past Jared's lips, he shivered as he felt the wet heat of that man's mouth. All the flavors of _Jared_ assailed his senses and Jensen was _sure_ he felt something shift between them.

Jared had never in his life felt anything like the strange _cool_ of Jensen’s tongue sliding along his own. The slow roll up of Jensen’s thigh repeated and Jared’s body flared with heat, his fingers around the vampire’s throat digging just a little harder. Before he could even really register what was happening his hips were moving down onto the strong thigh, nails sliding up to scrape hard against Jensen’s scalp.

Jensen's entire body shuddered as Jared pressed against him. _God_ , he'd never wanted like he wanted the man in front of him. The scrape of nails, the smell of sweat, the musky scent of Jared's body heating up with lust and pleasure seared through Jensen's mind and blurred his concentration.

Loosening his grip on Jared's hair, Jensen dragged his palm down the hunter's shirt and shoved it roughly up so he could press his hand to the flare of heat that was bare skin.

The vampire’s fingers on his skin sent a shudder down Jared’s back and he pressed forward, chest lifting into the touch as if he couldn’t resist it. The low, dull ache in his hips was reaching a point Jared couldn’t possibly ignore and his tongue pressed hard against the vampire’s, still struggling for control. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, wasn’t supposed to burn through him, and Jared felt dizzy, light headed. This couldn’t be good.

Bringing both hands between them Jensen tore Jared's t-shirt apart and slid both hands up over the muscular curves of his chest. It was _perfect_. Smooth skin heated from beneath by the blood that Jensen could hear racing through the man's veins.

Their mouths were slick, the kiss too hard and never hard enough and Jensen's head was spinning. Like every other sensation he felt as a vampire. this was heightened almost to the point of being unbearable. _Almost_. Breaking back slightly from the kiss Jensen stared into the hazel eyes. "Jared," he almost whispered.

Everything slammed hard into Jared, the way his body nearly _burned_ with desire, and that fleeting thought that he’d let Jensen just, take him. It was enough to cause Jared’s mind to spin, flip, and straighten out.

Arms flaring up, Jared shoved hard at Jensen’s chest, knocking the unprepared vampire back a few steps. Jared didn’t bother waiting for any commentary. He turned and ran, pushing himself as fast as possible, causing his pulse to race even harder in his ears. His lips were still tingling, air was rushing through his torn shirt, and all Jared could think about was being inside. _Hiding_. Because he couldn’t begin to process what had just happened.

Swaying on weak legs, Jensen watched the hunter running. It was the first sign the hunter had _felt_ something. The first sign of giving in. Licking the taste of Jared off his lips, Jensen watched until the hunter disappeared from view and then headed off in the opposite direction. He was hungry.


	2. Chapter 2

Jared had never been more relieved to get his keys in a lock and turn it. He’d honestly expected Jensen to catch him before he got home - and no, he wasn’t _hoping_ for it - so slipping inside seemed like some type of miracle. Exhaling heavily, Jared slumped against the door, eyes closing as he tried to will his heart down to a pace that wasn’t racing.

“Jared? Where have you-” Sandy cut off as she flicked the living room light on and Jared didn’t need to open his eyes to know her face was covered in surprise. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Shh,” Jared hissed, eyes opening to glance down the hall. The last thing he needed was all three of his friends to see him like this, Sandy seeing was bad enough. Slowly, he pushed from the door and crossed to the kitchen, uselessly pulling his shirt together. “Just needed some air.”

“So you open a window.” Sandy crossed quickly to him, reaching out to run fingers over his neck. “You don’t go wandering around outside where there happens to be a vampire that’s got a major obsession with you.”

“Windows aren’t exactly safe either you know,” Jared muttered and stepped out of the touch, heading for the cabinet and a glass. “It was- it’s nothing. He clearly doesn’t want to kill me-”

“No, he just wants to make you his _mate_. That should be concerning enough, Jared.” Sandy’s hand slapped down on the counter, her eyes saucer wide. “Unless by some miracle you managed to kill him.”

Pursing his lips, Jared watched as water trickled slowly into his cup than shook his head, running his free hand up through his hair. “Look, I’m fine, right?”

“Sure you’re fine. Your shirts all torn and your cheeks are all red, your hair is everywhere and... and, your lips are all... oh god. Oh _god_ Jared. What did you do?”

Jared didn’t like how high pitched Sandy’s voice was getting and he turned, pacing to Sandy’s side and setting his water down quickly. “Shh, Sandy, come on. Turn the flame down on the kettle.”

Sandy’s brows rose and judging from her pursed lips and narrowed eyes, she wasn’t pleased or amused. “Jared, did you... did you have sex with the vampire?”

“No!” Jared didn’t like the way his voice squeaked but Sandy’s question caught him off guard, maybe because he could all too easily picture it and he wasn’t ready for that. “We didn’t- I wouldn’t- fuck, Sandy.”

“Oh, Jared.” Sandy sighed and shook her head, taking his arm and pulling him down the hall.

Jared had a horrible, fleeting moment where he thought Sandy might be planning to wake Chad and Misha but she turned at the first door, dragging Jared into his room and shutting the door behind her. He watched as she flicked on the light and crossed to his bed, dropping down and staring expectantly up at him.

“What?” He whispered, like he didn’t know exactly what she was waiting for.

“Spill, everything.”

The idea of resisting, keeping his mouth shut, lasted less than a minute. But Jared had all these racing thoughts and his body was still humming slightly from the cold/hot combination of the vampire’s touches, so the words tumbled easily out of him. He told Sandy all the details he’d left out before, the way Jensen rubbed against him, the way Jared felt like he was crawling out of his skin with thick, burning, _want_.

He couldn’t meet Sandy’s eyes when he told her about the park, being pressed up against the tree, Jensen’s forceful kiss and the way Jared had so _easily_ given in. As he finished, explaining the shirt and his consequent break away, he dropped heavily down on the bed and groaned.

“God. This whole thing is so fucking _wrong_. I can’t believe I let him do that. I- that’s not- I’ve never felt anything like that with any vamp, I swear Sandy. He just kept pushing and-”

“Jared, hon, you need to take a breath because I don’t think you have in the last ten minutes,” Sandy murmured softly, reaching out to gently rub his arm. “Okay, so, something happened and it wasn’t the best thing but you stopped it. You ran. And next time you won’t let it happen again right? Next time you won’t go out there on your own so he can corner you alone again. Right?”

“I don’t know Sandy. It’s... he won’t kill me, because he likes me or whatever, but you guys? I think he would. I don’t even think he’d hesitate. I can’t put you at risk like that.” Jared forced himself up to sitting on the bed and looked over at his friend, frowning. “Why would I do that?”

“Jared, he will kill you,” Sandy whispered, her eyes wide and slightly watering. “You said it yourself, he wants to make you his mate. That’s death, Jared, you know that.”

Swallowing thickly, Jared shook his head, pushing his hand back through his hair. “I don’t think it’s that simple. I mean, he keeps claiming he could just make me, change me before I could stop him, but if it was true, why hasn’t he done it? I don’t know if he’s waiting for something or, whatever, I just don’t think he’ll do it just yet. And... I’m not trying to defend him or something, I swear. I just don’t think you guys should take the risk.”

“You’re insane, you know that right?” Sandy laughed and shook her head, flopping back on the bed and squirming under the blanket. “Look, you’re safe now, and you will be as long as you stay inside, so let’s get some sleep and not think about this for a while.”

Jared smiled softly over at the girl before standing and crossing the room. He flipped the light off and tugged off his torn short, kicking out of his shoes and jeans a moment later and sliding under the blanket beside Sandy. “You don’t think I’m disgusting now do you?”

“Well, you kind of smell.” Sandy’s face scrunched up in the moonlight before she grinned and scooted forward, tucking up against his body. “Are you okay?”

Eyes closing, Jared wrapped his arms around the girl and forced himself not to think about the way it felt like his lips were still tingling. “I don’t know,” he admitted in a whisper, eyes opening and darting to the window, just in case. “I’m sure I will be.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you will,” Sandy whispered quiet and sleepily, her head settling on Jared’s chest.

Jared was fairly sure he wasn’t going to get much sleep, but it at least felt nice to have the comfort and familiarity of Sandy there with him. And he’d work as hard as possible to keep his mind from returning to the vampire. Because Jared was not the one obsessed.

-=-=-=-

Of course Jensen had stopped by to see Jared at night as the man slept. What he hadn't expected was to see the woman lying in Jared's arms. The jealously that flared deep in his chest was painful and Jensen didn't linger at the open window for more than the space of a few heartbeats.

But the pain lingered and grew. It festered and threaded its way through Jensen's every thought and feeling. He slept restlessly, waking every hour or so and wondering what the relationship was between the two young hunters. In the strangest way, Jensen understood it. They were cut from the same cloth; two young humans with a particular talent for hunting. They would be able to understand the urges hunters had, the _need_ to be out searching and destroying.

It was that type of understanding that Jensen had longed for over the years he'd spent as a lone vampire. Arms that would hold him at night and _understand_.

By the time night fell and Jensen could hear the changes in the world around him; his jealousy had taken root firmly. His first thought upon waking was to find Jared and it wasn't difficult.

Jensen's entire body was turned to Jared. His scent, his heartbeat, the particular sounds his body made when he moved, even the patterns he moved in on his nightly walks. He knew that the _team_ of hunters went out at the same time each evening and he was there in the shadows as they walked across the park.

As always, Jared fell back - perhaps lost in his thoughts although Jensen often wondered if he was simply removing himself from the distraction of the other hunters. The hunter was listening, his eyes moving tirelessly around him as he strode confidently through the park.

As soon as Jared had fallen back from his friends Jensen took advantage of it. Before the hunter even knew what was coming his mouth was covered and he was being dragged backwards into the dense underbrush. Jensen wrestled the hunter to the ground and straddled his hips, gripping the man's wrists tightly. "Why was she in your bed?"

Why Jared had thought Jensen wouldn’t come for him was beyond him. Maybe some form of denial, the part of his brain not wanting to admit that this was really happening. Now though, as he tried to process the vampire suddenly _on_ his body and his hissed question, Jared couldn’t really deny much.

Instead of facing all of _those_ thoughts, Jared just blinked, his lips parting as he considered the question. “Wha- wow. Fucking _stalker_ much?”

Jensen had no patience for their usual banter. Gripping Jared's jaw tightly he stared down into the man's eyes. "Tell me, who is she to you?"

Brow furrowing, Jared stared up at the vampire and refused to acknowledge the heat from the cold touch holding him in place. It was really too much for his mind. “So, what? You’re jealous? Seriously?”

"Who is she to you," Jensen repeated. It was less of a question - he could see in the hunter's eyes the usual defiance but he could also see Jared's pupils dilating. Leaning further down Jensen caught Jared's bottom lip between his. It was almost tender, the softest touch that had yet to pass between them.

 _Don’t respond_. The words chanted over and over in Jared’s mind but he still found his body pressing up, straining into the vampire’s oddly soft touch. This wasn’t Jared, he didn’t _do_ this. Tearing from the kiss he turned his head away, breathing in deep in a practiced routine that was rapidly failing him. “She’s Sandy,” he said quietly, hating that he was giving any answer at all.

"Do you love her?" Jensen hated the disappointment that sliced through him when Jared turned away but then his eyes fell on the pulse fluttering under the hunter's skin. "Are you _in_ love with her? Is she yours?" Jensen's voice was like honey over coal, thick and dark and he tilted his head to continue the softest ghosting of his lips along Jared's cheek.

Jared - rather belatedly - wondered why he wasn’t fighting to get out from under the vampire. Maybe because he’d just spent his evening taking down a nest of fifteen vamps with his friends, or maybe because he was actually losing his mind. “She’s...” The lie was on the tip of Jared’s tongue. It would be so _easy_ to tell this vampire that he loved Sandy, that he was already spoken for.

Just as the words were forming Jared considered what Jensen might do if he thought Sandy was a threat between them. And then there was the part of him that didn’t want to say he was in love with Sandy because, that would make this thing happening between Jensen and him even worse. “She’s like my sister,” Jared whispered, closing his eyes as something bitter sank in his chest.

"Kiss me," Jensen growled against the hunter's neck. The pulse of the blood was almost too tempting for him and he struggled to pull back from the heat of it.

“No,” Jared whispered, feeling nearly naked with every brush of cool lips over his neck. He knew how easy it would be for the vampire, just like he knew his heart was racing from all of this. Jared was absolutely sure now, he’d completely lost his mind.

The sound that Jensen let loose was somewhere in between a growl and a cry of pain. _No_. The word reverberated through him, painful and heavy. Hauling himself back he shoved at Jared's shirt. He wanted that flesh under his hands again, wanted to feel the heat of it and the steady thundering boom of Jared's heart vibrating through his body.

He wasn't disappointed. Even with Jared's hands gripping his forearms, the way the man twisted under him only made Jensen more determined, more driven. Gripping a hand-full of the rucked up shirt, Jensen yanked Jared up. "I said, kiss me."

Something in Jared snapped. Everything was probably building to this and Jared was maybe mildly impressed that he’d last this long. Now though, Jared could only feel the hard press of Jensen’s hips against his own - the haunting pulse of the vampire’s arousal, and it was too much for him to take any longer.

Hands snapping up, Jared gripped Jensen by the back of the neck and dragged him forward, slamming his lips hard against the vampire’s. It hurt and a moment later Jared knew why. _Fangs_. “Shit,” he gasped, pulling an inch back from the kiss as coppery blood slid across his tongue.

"God," Jensen whispered. It had been too long since he'd last tasted the sweetness of that nectar pumping through Jared's veins. He tugged Jared back to him, tongue sweeping up the blood along the man's bottom lip. It was as though a shimmer of heat moved through Jensen's body and he shook slightly before crushing his lips to the hunter's once more.

It was almost desperate the way his tongue slid forward to probe the cut in Jared's mouth. Teasing more of the sweet blood out, Jensen moaned and loosened his grip on the shirt so he could shove at Jared's jacket, pushing it down off his shoulders. Sucking, lapping and then pressing _too hard_ forward to deepen the kiss.

The part of Jared that had snapped - caved to this strange, dizzying pleasure - took over and his fighting took on a different note. He was shoving forward now, pressing hard against Jensen’s lips, hands shoving between them to fist at the vampire’s shirt. A low moan fell between them and it took Jared a few moments to realize he had been the one to make it.

Body pressing up into the cool strength of the vampire, Jared finally managed to get his hands beneath the material, sucking Jensen’s tongue hard into his mouth as his fingers moved over curved muscles. He couldn’t breathe, his mind was reeling, and a new chant of _more_ was starting to thrum through him at a maddening rate.

Jensen could feel the exact moment things changed, feel the tide between them changing as Jared pressed forward. He let the hunter slide his shirt up, those hands leaving a burning trail of heat everywhere they touched Jensen's skin.

The taste of Jared's blood was dizzying and Jensen lifted the man's shirt, pausing only long enough for Jared to groan in protest when he had to pull his hands back to lift them. The shirt finally gone, Jensen's hands were everywhere on Jared's chest. The curve of each muscle rippling beneath the man's skin, the sharp line of bones, every warm pulse of blood beneath his flesh. Jensen drank it all in.

Something about kissing Jensen was addictive. And his touch, his cold fingers like ice on his overheated skin, was tearing Jared apart at his seams. He moaned louder into the kiss, not caring that they were in the park, that the night air felt just a little warmer than Jensen’s fingers. Jared was starting to worry that the over stimulation would cause him to pass out.

He tore back from the kiss and sucked in a deep breath, barely pausing a moment before he was dipping into the curve of neck and shoulder. The slick cool of Jensen’s skin was almost soothing on his kiss numb lips and another moan fell from Jared’s lips, his teeth sliding hard along the vampire’s skin. “Jesus-” Jared groaned, squirming in his too tight denims.

Jensen let out a small sigh and slid his hand up Jared's body slowly. When their gazes locked once more Jensen tilted his head slightly and traced the waistband on Jared's jeans until he could feel the smooth metal of the button.

He flicked it loose and pulled the denim down quickly, wanting to get closer to the heat he could feel radiating off Jared's body like a halo. His lips covered Jared's once more as his hand slid under the man's briefs. The heat was sharp and instant and then his fingers were curling around Jared's swollen shaft.

The vampire swallowed down Jared’s too loud moan and his hips lifted, jerking up into the fiery cold touch. Jared had never felt something so contrasting, like Jensen’s fingers on him were ice on his too hot skin. If there was any part of Jared still protesting to letting this happen, he was fairly sure it fell away at that moment.

He pushed forward in the next moment, causing the vampire to fall hard back onto the ground as he slid over the cool, hard body. Jensen’s grip on him twisted and shifted and Jared groaned, thrusting his hips into the touch out of his control.

Jensen stared up in awe for a few moments. The sound of Jared's heart beat was loud and strong and the _scent_ of him... all Jensen could do was stare open-mouthed, tongue tracing over his bottom lip. In one quick movement he shoved Jared back and stood, dragging the stunned hunter to his feet.

Their hands were everywhere on each other's bodies as their mouths found their way back together. Jensen's tongue slid forward desperately seeking out the remaining tang of blood in Jared's mouth.

When Jared's hips rolled forward again, Jensen growled and shoved the man straight back until he was pressed up against the Oak once more. "I want you," he whispered against the man's lips.

Out of his control, Jared’s shoulders shook, the words burning through him like a rush of heat from head to toe. “I haven’t-” Jared swallowed the words, pursing his lips as he looked away. It shouldn’t matter anyway, Jared couldn’t deny that he wanted this, and he knew the vampire had to _feel_ that. He didn’t want to focus on that though, simply dipped forward to suck bite along Jensen’s neck again.

“What?” Jensen let his head fall back slightly and slid his fingers back up into Jared’s hair. His hand slid back into the wide open front of the hunter’s jeans. As soon as his palm was pressing back against the hot hard flesh, Jared moaned. “Tell me, what... you haven’t what?”

No part of Jared wanted to have a conversation right now. Hell, the less he talked to Jensen the more he could get through this without feeling like he was betraying every human that suffered at the hands of vampires. But Jensen kept pushing, asking, and Jared scowled and looked away once more. “Just, haven’t, you know. Done stuff - look it doesn’t matter okay?” Jared’s fingers pressed along Jensen’s jaw and he moved forward, crushing his lips over Jensen’s once more.

Jensen's brow furrowed and he pulled back from the kiss, thumb sweeping across the flush of Jared's fiery cheek. "You haven't... ever?" Tilting his head Jensen leaned in to press his forehead to Jared's cheek.

Brows drawing together in confusion, Jared’s hands hesitated on the vampire’s skin. “Does it really matter?” He had no idea why Jensen would care about this _now_. He sure had no problems with anything before.

The thing was, it shouldn't matter to Jensen - but he was overcome with the strangest feeling of caring about Jared. It shouldn't matter and it did and it was confusing, unusual. The heat of Jared's body was still dizzying, drawing Jensen's focus and making him feel as though he were swimming through a thick fog.

Tipping his chin up he pressed his lips to the corner of Jared's mouth and pulled back slightly, hand pressing to the hunter's chest. "I didn't - I didn't know."

Jared frowned, looking down at the vampire’s hand on his chest then up. Jensen was a couple steps away, moving back, and something tightened hard in Jared’s chest. “Are you- are you fucking kidding me?” Jared stared wide-eyed at him for a long minute then turned, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

Jensen's head was spinning and he swayed for a moment, the world feeling so overwhelmingly cold around him. When he saw the expression on Jared's face Jensen's eyes widened slightly and he rolled his shoulders back, straightening his clothes. "You do nothing but berate me, call me names and hate me for all this time - and now... you're angry?"

“You don’t want to be here? _Fine_. I’m not keeping you here.” Jared ducked down to grab his shirt, turning his back to Jensen as he tugged it hard over his head. The worst thing - or somewhere high up on the list - was the shame and _embarrassment_ he felt. Like he’d forgotten what a horrible thing it was to do _that_ with a vampire, and then what it meant to know he wasn’t even _good_ enough for the vampire.

Jared was a little worried he was going to be sick.

Jensen let out a huff of air breath, frustrated, and more than a little taken aback by Jared's anger. "I was just-" Jensen shook his head. At his age he should know better than to _ever_ try to understand human emotion. He might have felt it once upon a time but it was far too distant a memory to be of any help.

Rolling his shoulders back Jensen let out a soft laugh and looked away. All this because he'd been _moved_. "This is ridiculous," he murmured. “You just don’t understand a thing.”

“Great,” Jared said flatly, turning to look when he heard the distant call of his name. He wondered how long his friends had been calling for him. Jared was more than a little relieved that they hadn’t found him. There would be no explaining that to Chad and Misha - though Sandy would probably have his back.

There was no way to describe what it felt like to be rejected by a _vampire_ of all things just because he as a virgin. It was hard enough in his life to watch Chad and Misha, happy together, to watch Sandy go out on dates, and to feel like he couldn’t even be himself because every time he came out to someone - like his family - he got doors slammed in his face. “You know, it’s you who doesn’t understand a thing.”

Jared rounded on the vampire, his fingers curling into tight fists. “Stop pretending to know me. You don’t know a damn thing about me. You’ve just got some creepy ass vampire stalker thing going on, I hope you got enough out of this to be over your sick fetish.” Stalking forward, Jared knocked his shoulder hard against Jensen’s as he brushed past him.

"You need to learn a few lessons about making judgments." Jensen whipped his hand around and caught the back of Jared's shirt, yanking him off his feet roughly and dragging him backwards. "You want it? Fine," Jensen spat. This was why he'd steeled himself against emotions over the years; they too easily clouded his judgment.

“Let go of me,” Jared growled, stumbling a few steps before his body kicked into gear. He turned with enough force to tear free of Jensen’s grip, slamming his body hard enough into the vampire’s to knock him back a few steps. “I don’t want it. I don’t want _you_.” It killed Jared to say it, only because it was an absolute lie and he was sure the vampire could see through that. Jared hated himself for the truth, that he did want it.

And yet another unwanted emotion shot through Jensen. _Hurt_. His lip curled into a sneer of anger and he launched himself hard at Jared, sending them both crashing to the ground again. They rolled over each other and slammed hard into the side of the huge Oak tree. Jensen heard Jared let out a groan and scented fresh blood.

Jared fought against the pain, channeling the mixture of shame, embarrassment, and whatever was left of pent up desire into his motions. They rolled back from the tree, Jared gaining advantage for just a moment before he was flipped on his back again, blinking stars from his eyes. He aimed a kick at the vampire, threw his arms forward, shoving hard at Jensen to find that advantage again.

Darting out of the way at the last moment Jensen winced as Jared's boot connected hard with his leg. Pressing his forearms against Jared's throat, Jensen bared his fangs and stared down at Jared. The hunter was panting, still struggling in Jensen's grip.

Jensen heard a voice in the distance, the sound of footsteps - Jared's friends. Growling low in his throat Jensen leaned down and sank his teeth into Jared's neck. Instantly, the lava of Jared's blood poured into his mouth. Shivers of pleasure washed away the hurt that Jensen was still wrestling with and he gulped down the beautiful nectar from Jared's body.

The sudden burn of pleasure was far more than Jared ever could have imagined. He knew what was happening - his mind was chanting _god he’s biting me, he’ll kill me_ \- but all he could feel was heat. A moan fell from his lips before he could bite it back, his fingers tightening in Jensen’s hair, like he’d pull him away only he simply pressed him closer.

“Jared!” Sandy’s voice was slightly shrill, closer now, and Jared thought he could hear their footfalls.

But all he could think of was Jensen’s fangs in him, the way he was suddenly so hard he thought he’d come in his pants, and _fuck_. “Jensen,” he gasped, sounding far too much like a moan, or maybe a warning. Jared wasn’t sane enough at the moment to know the difference.

Tearing himself back from Jared, Jensen moaned softly. He could hear them coming closer. Dragging the back of his hand across his mouth he closed his eyes for a moment and tried to steady himself. "Jared," he said softly. His hand fluttered up, hovering just over the hunter's cheek. Nothing had gone the way it was supposed to.

He heard Jared's friends crashing into the underbrush behind them and groaned. There wasn't enough time. Leaping to his feet Jensen took off at a run trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the mistake he'd just made.

The cool of the night air soaking into his body was startlingly different from that of Jensen pressed over him and Jared clenched his eyes shut, fighting against the churn of his stomach. He couldn’t believe he’d allowed any of this to happen. He should have worked with the group and come up with a plan to kill Jensen days ago and here he was, laying on the cold, hard, ground, still turned on and bleeding from a bite that should have revolted him.

“Shit, Jay? Man, you okay?” Chad slid to a stop beside Jared, quickly dipping down to kneel over him, Misha and Sandy only a step or two behind. “Jared?”

Jared allowed himself ten more seconds of not dealing with any of this crap before he blinked his eyes open and lifted his hand, pressing it to his neck. “M’fine.”

“He bit you,” Sandy whispered, voice laced with shock. “Jare- how, how much?”

“S’nothing,” Jared mumbled and sat up, pushing to his feet a moment later. He swayed and six hands snapped out to brace him. Despite everything - maybe because of it - Jared laughed, the noise a little on the hysterical side. “He didn’t get much. Heard you guys comin’ and ran.” Jared knew he sounded off, he could see the concern all over his friend’s face, but he wasn’t addressing it. “Let’s go.”

“Dude, come on, you can take a few minutes,” Chad said quietly, his grip on Jared’s arm tightening. “I doubt the chicken shit will come back with us all here.”

“I said let’s go,” Jared snapped, lips pursing at the irritation he felt at Chad’s words. He groaned and shook his head, starting off through the undergrowth once more. “I’m bleeding and would rather not attract every vampire in the city.”

Jared didn’t have to look back to know his friends were exchanging looks. He didn’t want to think about it. Hell, Jared didn’t want to _think_. It felt like everything he knew, his stability, was completely lost on him. Jared didn’t bother looking over his shoulder as they walked home; he already knew Jensen wouldn’t be coming back for him. If his friends hadn’t come, then Jensen probably would have killed him.

At this point, Jared didn’t think it was such a bad idea. Being dead seemed like the easiest way out.

-=-=-=-

It had been two days since the park fiasco and the only reason Jared knew was because he’d watched the sun rise and set twice from the place he was hiding in his bed. Technically, he wasn’t hiding, he was sick. His head was throbbing, his skin felt cold and clammy, and he was constantly waking, thrown into these dreams that were full of cold fingers, hard lips, sharp fangs.

The first day everyone let him be excluding the onetime in the evening when Sandy came in to make sure he was still alive. She fussed around him for a while, trying to get him to talk, but Jared couldn’t figure out any words to explain the situation. They all knew something had happened, Sandy more so than Chad and Misha, but they were nice enough not to push.

He wasn’t so lucky the second day. Sandy brought him soup sometime after the sun had set, when the sky was still tinged with pink, orange and purple. Jared thought he was simply delirious but he was tired of sleeping, tired of dreaming, and something about his open window was pissing him off.

“Jare, will you please talk to me?” Sandy asked quietly, setting the soup on the nightstand and sitting on the edge of the bed. “And don’t pretend to be asleep, I know you’re not.”

“M’sick Sandy, come on.” Jared tugged the blanket slightly over his head, frowning when he rubbed beads of sweat from his forehead.

“I know you’re sick, but I also know something happened.” Sandy rubbed along his arm then tugged the blanket, pulling it back. “You probably have a fever Jared, you shouldn’t smother yourself.”

“I wanna smother,” Jared grumbled, twisting around to flop onto his stomach. He groaned into the pillow, twisting onto his side a moment later and curling into a ball. “Everything hurts.”

“You’ve made yourself this sick, stressing about everything and... and whatever happened with Jensen.”

“Can we please not talk about him?” Jared whispered, curling up so his head was pressed against Sandy’s knee. He felt soft fingers slide through his hair and exhaled slowly. The touch was soothing, comforting, and the words were bubbling up on Jared’s tongue before he could stop them. “I almost let him fuck me.”

Sandy’s touched stilled and Jared held his breath, almost terrified this would be the thing to cause Sandy to flee. Jared kind of thought he deserved that, no friends. “Almost?” She whispered, her fingers moving again a moment later.

Blowing out the breath he’d been holding, Jared sank against Sandy finally voicing the thoughts that had been swirling around his sick haze brain for two days. “I would have. It was- god Sandy, I can’t even - I know, I know how wrong it is. How horrible. But the way it felt... the way... _shit_. Then I told him, said I hadn’t and he just- he didn’t want it anymore. Didn’t want me. God, how fucked up is that?”

“Jesus, Jared,” Sandy gasped softly, her fingers curling in Jared’s hair. “But he bit- he was feedi- you know. When we came.”

“Pretty sure he was just gonna finish me off. You know like, to end his obsession.” Jared clenched his jaw shut, wincing at the flare of pain. There was no way he was telling her how amazing it felt when Jensen had bit him. Some things he couldn’t confess to. “Doesn’t matter, he’s probably long gone.”

“Why do you sound like that’s a thing you don’t want?” Sandy asked in a whisper, not nearly as judgmental as Jared would have thought it should be.

He really didn’t deserve these friends, especially not Sandy, who wasn’t even going to hate him for liking something so awful. It all boiled down to that really. Jared _liked_ it, the way Jensen made his skin prickle, the way the attention from the vampire made him feel so... important. And every time he admitted that to himself, he felt ten times worse. There had to be something wrong with him for liking that.

“Jared?” Sandy murmured, fingers brushing his cheek a moment later.

“I can’t talk about this right now,” Jared whispered and glanced once up at the girl before closing his eyes again. “Just wanna feel better. Then, we’ll see.”

“Okay, well, get some sleep,” Sandy whispered, shifting once more on the bed. “I’m gonna stay in here a while, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Jared didn’t bother to ask why, Sandy was the mother hen type and Jared figured now of all times, he could use it.

-=-=-=-

Even though only two nights has passed since Jensen had seen Jared, he felt twitchy - it felt as though something was missing. Staying away from Jared's home had been difficult and had proved impossible the second night. As soon as he awoke, Jensen headed straight there. He lingered in the park wondering if Jared would come out, would go hunting.

When there was still no sign of him late into the evening Jensen gave in and headed to the building, hopping up onto the awning then climbing he settled on Jared's window sill. As always it was open, but the soft light in the room didn't reveal the face he'd been expecting. It was Sandy... the friend, and Jared was curled up against her. Jensen could smell sickness in the room even though below that was still the scent of Jared. "Is he alright?"

Sandy jumped slightly, head snapping toward the window. “You... I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be here.” She frowned, shaking her head at Jensen, hand settling on Jared’s head.

"Shh, don't wake him. I can tell from here that he's ill." Jensen's eyes narrowed as he peered into the room trying to get a better look at the hunter. When Jensen finally looked over at Sandy he tried to hide the concern on his face. "Is he alright?"

Sandy stared silently at Jensen for a long minute, her fingers gently sliding through Jared’s hair. “You... you really care about him huh? You care if he’s okay or not.”

"Of course I care," Jensen said softly. He blinked a few times and dropped his gaze. "Things went... things didn't go how I planned. I made assumptions about him that were wrong." Sighing, Jensen looked back up at Sandy and smiled slightly. "Take care of him, I won't bother him again."

“Wait- you’re just-” Sandy frowned, gaze shifting down to Jared as he moved slightly on the bed, mumbling in his sleep. “This is because he’s a virgin? He said, after he told you, that you didn’t want... him.” She shifted a little closer to Jared, acting like some type of barrier between them even if Jensen couldn’t come inside.

"Is that what he thinks?" Jensen's eyes widened then his lashes dropped for a few moments. "This is why it's not a good idea to _feel_. Things get so easily confused, mistakes get made." Smiling sadly, Jensen lifted his eyes to Sandy's once more. "I want him very much."

“But you’re going now? And not coming back? Must not be _that_ much.”

Jared wasn’t sure who woke him, Jensen or Sandy, but it hadn’t taken too long to decide to keep pretending to be asleep. Sandy was doing exactly what Jared had never been able to do, have a real conversation with the vampire, and Jared couldn’t figure out what she was getting at. So he used his hunter skills and kept his breath the same even, steady inhales, hoping it would fool Jensen long enough to figure out _something_.

"He wanted me to leave him alone. He _said_ he doesn't want me. He has a fever, you know that? I can feel it - like a fire raging in the room." Jensen held his hand up as though he could warm his palm on the invisible heat.

“I thought as much.” Sandy looked down at Jared for a long few minutes, sighing softly before lifting her eyes to Jensen. “You know, he’d probably kick my ass for telling you, but he’s really just, not so good with expressing any kind of feelings. Which I guess doesn’t matter, since you said it’s better not to feel at all. He’s just got trust issues or whatever. You can go if you want, I won’t tell him you came by.”

"He trusts you, the others." Jensen nodded toward the door that closed off the rest of the apartment. He sat there for a few moments, watching the steady rise and fall of the blanket that covered Jared's chest. Everything inside him said he should leave, move on, find another city to inhabit. "What happened... the trust thing."

Jensen settled down comfortably on the sill and leaned back, crossing his legs at the ankle.

Beneath the blanket Jared tried not to make any sudden movements. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to tell the vampire all of this, just like he had no idea why Sandy was offering it up, but maybe some part of him wanted Jensen to know. Maybe Sandy could see through the veil clouding Jared’s eyes or something.

“Well, I’m sure you’ve figured out how crappy this town is, with the vampire population.” Sandy glanced up, watching Jensen nod before continuing. “And so you’ve seen how young they are, they kill so, so ruthlessly. God, in seventh grade we started with about one hundred and fifty kids in our class and by the time we graduated there was less than ninety. Everyone has lost someone, or many someone’s. Jared lost his brother, and one of our best friends. But I don’t know, it’s not that.”

Sandy’s lips pursed, her fingers rubbing along her eyes. “When he came out to his parents they totally freaked out, even though Jared was their only child still alive. I mean like, worst freaking out possible, kicked him out, refuse to speak to him, told him he’s going to hell, all that. So he’s always had a hard time working up the nerve to date, and, he’s pretty much the best hunter alive but believe it or not, he’s really self-conscious.”

Smiling sadly, Sandy shrugged and met Jensen’s gaze once more. “Guess it’s not really that much. Not even sure it matters. But at least you know.”

"Of course it matters," Jensen said softly. Rolling his bottom lip under his teeth, he stared over at Sandy for a few moments then down at the mop of brown hair he could see by her leg. "I stopped _because_ I care. He said... I didn't want to hurt him, I didn't want his first time..." Jensen's voice trailed off and he turned away unable to quite put anything into words.

Jensen shifted slightly, peering down at the outline of Jared's body. "I've lost everyone. Every single person I've ever loved and care about; I've lost. Most of them, I watched die, some of them I held in my arms as they took their last breath. I lost my brother too - it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through." Clearing his throat, Jensen blinked away a haze of reddish tears.

"When I saw him, I wanted him - maybe it was all physical at first - but he's a little crazy. He's a fighter, strong and when I look in his eyes I see a lot there. Have I ruined it?" Jensen wasn't sure why he was asking Sandy anything; he wasn't sure why he'd thought there was something to even hope for.

“I honestly don’t know. He... he talks a lot, about the, thing, happening between you two. But he sounds so, um, confused? I think he might feel a little guilty for enjoying things,” Sandy whispered, glancing over at Jensen and shrugged, a soft smile on her lips. “Can I ask you something?”

Jensen laughed softly, the absurdity of the situation starting to sink in. "Why not? It's been a long time since I had a conversation about anything remotely like this."

“Well maybe if you weren’t so creepy you could have a conversation with Jared.” Sandy pointed out with a soft laugh, trailing off in a sigh. “You um, did you really kill an entire village of people?”

"Yes." Jensen shrugged a shoulder. "I could lie, but what's the point. I was angry, lost, hurt - does it matter why I did it? Jared won't understand. If you're alive, with friends and loved ones it's impossible to understand the feeling of losing the very last person who really _knew_ you." Jensen's voice grew softer as he spoke; so many memories were shaking loose inside his mind.

“I don’t think you’re giving Jared enough credit.” Sandy stared hard at the vampire, not even flinching when Jensen met her gaze. “So who was it? The last person who really knew you?”

"Ironically, my maker." Jensen tried to shake off the heaviness of everything. "Thank you, for... listening. When he wakes up... could you tell him. Tell him, I'm sorry." Without waiting for an answer, Jensen flashed a small smile and slipped off the sill.

Jared didn’t have to listen to the silence that followed to know the vampire had gone. He shifted just slightly, blinking his eyes open and staring up at Sandy’s puzzled expression. Yeah, he certainly knew that feeling. “He likes to do that,” Jared said softly, a small smile on his lips when she glanced down at him. “The disappearing thing.”

“You listened to the whole thing?” Sandy frowned as she ran her fingers along Jared’s brow.

“I guess. Most of it at least.” It didn’t really make Jared feel better about things. No, because now he felt like an asshole on top of everything else. He’d _hurt_ Jensen and it was painful in his ill state to struggle with guilt over the way he’d treated the vampire and disbelief that he could be worried about a _vampire’s_ feelings. “Can’t believe you talked to him.”

“He was asking after you, he could tell you were sick.” Sandy shrugged, giving Jared a small smile. “I’m pretty sure... he really likes you. Maybe he even loves you a little.”

Jared scoffed, shaking his head. “No, Sandy, he doesn’t. He’s obsessed with me. Maybe he thinks he likes me but it’s not love. It couldn’t be. Come on, I’m the hunter, what kind of vampire would fall for a hunter? That’s... ridiculous.”

“Well you know I’m not going to sit here and try to convince you to have some type of relationship with him. Just, if _you_ decided to, I wouldn’t hate you for it. He’s kind of enthralling. I can see how these things just keep happening.”

“Are you saying you think he’s hot?” Jared arched his brow, trying for a laugh and ending in a fit of coughing. By the time he’d calmed down, Sandy was rubbing his back gently, a soft sigh falling from her lips. “Sandy,” Jared whispered and closed his eyes. “You heard him, he probably won’t even come back now. Doesn’t matter.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself Jare,” Sandy murmured and dipped down, kissing his temple. “Go back to sleep, you need to get better. The boys are itching to go out on a hunt.”

Jared nodded and flopped over, his mind still reeling with Jensen’s words. This feeling sucked, seeing all the pieces of his life laid out before him and not knowing how to put them back together again. So he told himself it’d be better if Jensen never came back, and ignored the part of him that wished the vampire was still there, watching over him as he slept.

-=-=-=-

In the end it took Jared nearly four days to get over whatever exhaustion flu seemed to take over his body. He missed a week of school and a week of hunting, but he found it almost impossible to really _care_. No, most nights he ended up simply watching his open window, wondering what he might say to Jensen if he returned.

If the vampire did, Jared wasn’t awake for it.

Sandy and he had talked a few more times about Jensen, how to handle it, and Jared stopped questioning why the idea of killing the vampire was no longer brought up. It was so much easier to kill a vampire when he thought of them as soulless, heartless, _creatures_. After hearing Jensen talk, Jared knew he couldn’t think of him that way any longer. That was almost more unsettling than everything else.

The first night he went out he walked for more than an hour before settling on a swing in the park. Honestly, he’d hoped Jensen would appear within minutes, and was maybe a little disappointed when it didn’t happen. His disappointed shifted between anger, irritation, then something morose when so much time had ticked by with no show from the vampire.

Sinking down onto the swing, Jared tried to analyze what it meant if he _missed_ Jensen. At what point in time had he started thinking of Jensen in terms that didn’t involve hate, loath, disgust. Jared wanted to hate all of this and yet, there he was on the swing, still waiting, telling himself it was completely for the best if Jensen was gone for good.

Jensen opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before finding his voice. "Jared?"

Looking up sharply, Jared shifted on the swing, almost standing but deciding against it. “Hey, I thought-” Shaking his head, Jared gripped the chains and shrugged. “You’re still around.”

"I haven't been very far away. I find that - difficult." Jensen smiled and stepped all the way out of the shadows. Of course, Jared was beautiful. Even if his skin was a little pale, and he might have been a little thinner than he should be. "Jared... what did you think?"

This wasn’t the approach Jared was used to. Part of him had almost wished Jensen would come like he used to, guns blazing so to speak, just to make it easier on Jared to be hard, cold, uninterested. “Thought you’d left,” Jared muttered and shrugged. “So, where were you?”

"Close," Jensen said softly. "I feel better when I’m closer to you, knowing that you're alright. I came to see you, when you were ill." Nervous - which felt like _very_ unfamiliar territory, Jensen took a few steps closer and leaned against the cool metal swing frame.

“Yeah I know.” Jared nodded, kicking his feet along the sand. He wondered how close was too close and considered asking but swallowed the question. They were quiet for a few minutes, then Jared slowly looked up, watching the vampire in his subtle, barely-there movements. “So, you were just watching me?”

Looking down Jensen smiled slightly. "I'd rather call it watching _over_ you. Not quite so sinister sounding.” Sighing, he pushed off the frame and walked around to stand behind the swing. Reaching out, his smile widened slightly and he pressed his hands to Jared's broad shoulders, pushing him to begin the swing moving.

Jared couldn’t help laughing at the absurdity of it all. Seriously? A vampire pushing him on the swing? And Jared hadn’t thought this could get any more weird. “I heard you talking with Sandy,” he admitted quietly, slowly stretching his legs out and pulling back as he moved.

"Oh?” Jensen was thankful for the swing; it gave him a reason to put his hands on Jared without giving away how much he'd wanted to. "She seems like a good friend."

“She is. You know, vampires killed her entire family.” Jared tilted his head back, catching a glimpse of Jensen in passing. “That’s pretty common around here though. This town is shit. I don’t even know why I’m telling you all that. Probably because she went and told my story, so it’s like payback.”

"I'm glad she told me." When the swing moved back toward him Jensen grabbed the chains over Jared's hands and stopped it. Jared was so warm, and the night breeze carried the scent of him all around Jensen. "Jared, I-" Jensen blew out a breath and stepped back, fingers sliding reluctantly off the hunters.

Jared was pretty sure the touch felt too brief and he was maybe starting to get to a point that he could admit that. He stood and turned to Jensen, letting the swing fall gently back and forth between them. “You what?” He slid his hands into his pockets, watching Jensen’s little movements once more.

"I know you can't give me a chance, and I just wanted you to know that I understand. You're a hunter and - what I am... I'm about as far away from what you want or need..." Jensen chanced a look up at Jared and felt something strange tighten inside his chest.

“Sounds like you’ve made up your mind then.” Jared half shrugged and took a step back. He’d never felt so torn, like just knowing Jensen had knocked his entire world upside down. “Does that, are you leaving then?”

Jensen shoved both hands into his hair and stared across the short distance between them. Frustration was tugging at him, eating him alive. He wanted Jared, wanted... the craziness of the push and pull. All the tenderness, the confusion was unfamiliar. "I liked it better when we were fighting, I understand how that works."

“Yeah,” Jared half snorted the word, the laugh distant and maybe a little hollow. This was beyond confusing, for so many reasons Jared actually felt dizzy when he considered it. “I don’t know how... I’m not supposed to want this. I’m not supposed to want you. And I still don’t even get why you’ve got such a fixation on me.”

Jensen dropped his hands and closed the distance between them in a fraction of a heartbeat. His hands settled on Jared's hips, his lips just a moment away from touching the hunter's. "You're alive, and beautiful, and strong. When I look in your eyes I see stories I want to hear, things I want to know. Just the slightest scent of you on a breeze makes me feel better... feel more than I've felt in..."

The vampire’s words were almost intoxicating. Jared was swaying into the cool strength almost automatically, fingers lifting to curl along Jensen’s jaw. “But, if you...” Jared laughed weakly head tilting down until their foreheads were meeting. “This is insane, you’re everything I’ve fought for years. And, and I should hate you, should fight you, try and kill you.” Jared felt the vampire’s body stiffen and his hands slid down, gripping the collar of his shirt. “But all I can think about is how good it felt, you touching me, and… biting me.”

“So. You don’t hate me?” Jensen watched as the pink tip of Jared’s tongue appeared against his lips briefly, then his eyes were back on the hunter’s. “I definitely don’t hate you.”

“I don’t... hate you.” It was surprisingly easy to admit, maybe because it was the truth Jared had been denying for so long, it actually felt like a little weight had been lifted from his shoulders with the confession, even if it was nothing. “You’re. God. You’re all I can think about. It’s driving me crazy.”

There were a lot of things Jensen wanted to say but words didn't seem to be something he was good at when it came to Jared. Swaying forward, he pressed his lips to the corner of Jared's mouth, fingers tightening on the hunter's hips.

A shudder of pleasure slid down Jared’s back, his eyes fluttering closed as he soaked in the gentle touches. It was oddly mind spinning, allowing Jensen’s lips to move gently over his own. It took him a few minutes to realize he wasn’t responding the way he wanted to, like he needed to once more admit to himself that he wanted this. He tilted into the next brush of the vampire’s lips, stepping forward as the kiss deepened.

For the first time in entirely too many years, Jensen felt his knees weaken and he held himself up by clinging harder to Jared's hips. _Surrender_ ; Jensen had known the taste of many things during his existence but this was by far the sweetest.

Sliding a palm around to press against the small of Jared's back, Jensen moaned as his tongue slid forward into the hunter's mouth. Urging him as close as possible, Jensen lost himself in the swirl of scent and heat that slowly enveloped him.

Jared hadn’t thought the touches between them could burn hotter than before, when they were fighting and clashed into something desperate and pressing. This though, was a completely different sort of pleasure. His body pressed up against the vampire’s, lips parting wider to give Jensen more room to move.

One hand slid up to cup along the back of Jensen’s head, his free hand palming down the vampire’s side, marking each hard curve of muscle. Jared had never kissed so... passionately, and his entire body felt like it was thrumming with heat. He pulled an inch back from the kiss, gasping a breath, shoulders shaking for just a beat until he managed to get some control over himself.

"You're shaking," Jensen whispered. His fingers moved slowly up Jared's back; the moment the man's heat moved the slightest distance away Jensen longed for it again. "Will you... can I come back to your home? Talk, anything." It felt a little desperate all of a sudden.

The implication of Jensen’s words weren’t lost of Jared. He understood, if he invited Jensen inside, he was opening up not only himself, but also his friends - his _family_. It was a level of trust Jared wasn’t sure he knew how to give and Jared hesitated, meeting Jensen’s eyes. “Can I trust you?”

Disappointment fluttered in Jensen's chest at the question. "Yes, but… we can go somewhere else. I wasn't thinking..." Jensen withdrew slightly, hands sliding off Jared's body. "There are a few cafes that stay open all night. I go there sometimes. I like the smell of brewing coffee."

“Or you could just give me a moment to think,” Jared said quietly, hand lifting back toward Jensen and hovering there in thin air between them. The truth was, he didn’t think he’d be able to keep his hands off Jensen in public, and that was clearly a problem. “They’re all I have Jensen. If anything happened to them…” Jared knew he didn’t need to say more. Judging from what he’d heard the other night Jensen knew plenty about loss.

"Perhaps, we should ask them." Jensen tried a small smile, fingers catching Jared's. The heat of Jared was magnetic, drawing Jensen back each time he tried to put some distance between them. "Take me there and - are you armed? A stake I mean?"

“Of course, I’m not an idiot.” Jared smiled slightly at the vampire, shaking his head as he stooped down and easily pulled the stake free from the band around his calf. “You realize, if I tell them you’re there, you’re putting your life at risk. Sandy, she won’t hurt you, but Chad and Misha don’t know the story, they don’t know how I fe- they. You know.”

"Then maybe it will be perceived as _trust_?" Jensen smiled slightly. "They have trust in you, I've seen it. I'll have faith in that. Will that… will that help you to know that I can be trusted in return?" For some reason, it felt like one of the most important things in the world - to earn that trust.

Jared stared at Jensen for a full minute, as if he could figure out the answers to all of this, the most confusing thing he’d ever been caught up in. Jensen could easily be playing him but Jared didn’t believe he would. In fact, Jared was pretty sure he already did trust the vampire, and it wasn’t as scary as it should’ve been. “Come on,” he said quietly, hesitating a moment longer then reaching out to snag the vampire’s forearm, turning to tug him back through the park.

Jensen fell into step beside Jared. "I'm going to guess that I shouldn't make any sudden movements around any of you for a while?" He peered up at Jared, lips twitching into a slight smile.

“I haven’t decided if I’m going to tell them all you’re there,” Jared admitted quietly, dropping Jensen’s arm and sliding his hands into his pockets.

“What?” Jensen slowed his pace. Shame gnawed at him as he began to sift through everything. “You’re - you’re ashamed to tell them.”

“Is that what you think?” Jared didn’t stop but he slowed as well, glancing over at Jensen. “Maybe one of these times you’ll get the memo that you can’t read my mind, you don’t know what I’m thinking. Stop assuming.”

“Why not tell them then?” Jensen stopped, folded his arms across his chest and looked away. All the hundreds of reasons why everything about his _need_ for Jared was wrong came flooding back.

Jared walked a few more steps then stopped, turning slowly to look at Jensen. He really didn’t get this thing between them. “I don’t want them to hurt you,” Jared said quietly, blinking at Jensen. “Chad’s a little hot headed sometimes. If he thinks Misha’s in danger, he acts without thought. I’d rather he not… hurt you. Or try to, causing you to defend yourself.”

"And by _defend myself_ you mean - kill one of them. I won't fight back," Jensen said hollowly. He started walking again, brushing past Jared. It wasn't like he didn't know where they were going - and if Jared was too ashamed to introduce him, he would do it himself.

“Oh Jesus Christ would you start acting like a grown man instead of this whiney ass, emo vampire? Because it’s getting old. And it’s not my fault if you’re so easily butt hurt.” Jared huffed out an annoyed breath, heading across the street to walk through the patches of poorly lit sidewalk.

Jensen scowled over his shoulder at Jared before walking faster. "Like I said, we were better off fighting."

Maybe it was because he was he was so torn over everything. What he wanted was to take Jared away; and at the very same time he wanted Jared to trust him completely, take him inside the warm circle of light in his bedroom window. Maybe… he wanted to be able to be exactly what was _right_ for Jared.

When Jared didn't answer, Jensen spoke again, his voice softer. "The village. It was right after my maker - he - we had been together for a long time. I don't even know how long. And without a word, with no sign that things were bad for him, not a single word, he left one day while I was sleeping and all I found was a pile of ashes outside our door the next morning. _You_ can trust me Jared. I promise you that even if you can’t believe it right now."

Jared thought back to the things they’d learned about Jensen. While it was a little soothing to know the vampire hadn’t killed his maker, it was no excuse for killing a village of people. It hurt his head too much to think of all that though. “Did you love him?” Jared asked quietly, not sure what was appropriate to ask at a time like this.

Jensen's step faltered and he turned his gaze down as they approached the building. "I did. I - what I did was unforgivable but I couldn't- I didn't know how to exist without him, what to do with the anger." Rolling his shoulders back, Jensen sniffed and stopped by the door to the building. "Shall I just wait in your window? Or out here?"

It had irritated the vampire, saddened him maybe, when Jared had suggested just sneaking him in. For some reason, after the things Jensen had just said, Jared felt guilty about it all. Sighing softly, he slid a hand up through his hair before turning to the door of his building. “Come on,” he murmured and heading into the building, stopping with the door held open for Jensen. “Well?”

Jensen's eyes widened slightly and he headed inside after a moment's hesitation, reaching for Jared's hand as he passed him. It was a strange thing, being _unsettled_ about something for the first time in a hundred years, very strange.

Nodding once, Jared braced his shoulders and headed up the steps. “Let’s do this,” he whispered, trying to tell himself this wasn’t a stupid idea. It probably was.


	3. Chapter 3

Some part of Jared had been hoping - praying even - that his friends would be in their rooms, like they would have been any other night. But of course, this would be the one night they weren’t. He’d barely turned the key in the lock when the door was tugged open, Sandy grinning up at him.

The smile dimmed moments later as her gaze slid over to Jensen then down to their joined hands. “Jare,” Sandy whispered, shooting a glance over her shoulder and stepping a little closer, pulling the door with her. “What are you doing?”

“It’s okay Sandy, he won’t...” Jared looked over at Jensen, sighing softly then looking back at his friend. “He’s okay.”

“Hey, what are you two-” Chad tugged the door away from Sandy, his eyes growing wide as he took in the vampire. “What the fuck is he doing here?” His arm snapped out, holding Misha back as the man approached.

“Chad,” Jared sighed softly, meeting his friend’s gaze. “Just hold on a minute okay? This is, this is Jensen okay? And he- uh.” Jared looked over at Jensen. “Did you have any plans for how to get them not to hate you automatically?”

Jensen tightened his hold on Jared's hand and looked up at the shocked faces in front of him. "I love Jared, I want him to be my mate. I don't think he wants that - but I haven't even asked him yet. We got off on the wrong foot – and… I'm fixing things. Hi Sandy." Jensen nodded at the young woman.

Squaring his shoulders Jensen held out his right hand toward Chad. "I'm Jensen. Jared said you're fiercely protective of your lover. You should be, love is priceless."

“You love me?” Jared asked quietly, looking over at the vampire.

“You love him?” Chad repeated at nearly the same time as Jared, hand smacking Sandy’s arm. “And he knows you?”

“Don’t be a douche Chad,” Sandy hissed and punched the blonde hard in the arm. “Hi Jensen.”

“Chad,” Jared half pleaded his friend’s name, glancing down at Jensen’s hand still offered out.

“Have you all lost your minds?” Chad muttered even as Sandy pushed his arm, causing the blonde’s hand to fall against Jensen’s.

“I thought it was kind of sweet,” Misha said quietly, giving Jared a hopeful smile. “Hi Jensen, I’m Misha.” The man slid from around Chad, taking the vampire’s hand next. “And as long as you’re not planning on hurting Jared, you know uh, against his will, then I’m willing to give you a chance.”

After shaking Misha's hand Jensen stepped back closer to Jared. Leaning into him slightly he whispered, "I thought it might be best to give it my best shot the first time." When he looked up there was a slight smile on Jared's face and it brought one to Jensen's quickly. "And yes, I love you. It's… it's a vampire thing I'd prefer to explain in private."

“Okay.” Jared nodded and stepped into the apartment, standing in front of Chad when the man didn’t move. “Chad, are we gonna have an issue?”

“We won’t,” Misha insisted and took Chad’s arm, pulling him back a few steps. “Come on Chad.”

“Have you all gone _insane_?” Chad snapped, knocking Misha back and turning to Jared. “Do you remember him trying to kill you a week ago Jared? And what about all the other innocent lives he’s taken?”

“He didn’t try and kill me Chad,” Jared wasn’t even stopping to think, defending Jensen like it was second nature or something. “You don’t know what happened but there was nothing he did that wasn’t entirely consensual. I’m not saying he’s perfect or innocent but- but he’s different. And if I can give him the chance to explain, or _be_ different, then I will.”

Chad stared wide-eyed at Jared, lips parted with something close to shock. When he snapped his jaw shut his teeth clicked audibly in the room. Stepping forward, he jabbed his finger hard into Jared’s chest. “When he does something horrible, the blood is on your hands Padalecki.”

Jared smacked Chad’s hand away, staring down at Chad. “Jensen, why don’t you come on in.”

“Chad, I won’t hurt anyone here. In fact, I’d defend everyone here like they were my own.” Jensen stepped inside, pressing up against Jared’s back and sliding his hand over the hunter’s hip.

“Oh good, then I can just overlook all the other hundreds of people you’ve hurt, and the ones you’ll hurt in the future.” Chad glared at Jensen for a long moment before turning and stalking down the hall, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

“It’ll be okay,” Sandy said quietly, shutting the front door and turning the lock.

“Chad’s just a little overly passionate about some things,” Misha murmured, giving Jensen a small smile. “He, he’ll just need some time, you know, to adjust to the whole idea.”

Jared sighed softly, sliding his arm back until he could pull Jensen up to his side. It hadn’t gone nearly as bad as Jared had thought it might, but he was maybe a little surprised that Jensen had still stuck around.

“I should consider acquiring a house of my own,” Jensen said quietly. “Thank you, Misha. I hope I live up to Jared’s expectations of me.” He let out a soft sigh and looked around the apartment.

“I don’t think I really have an expectations.” Jared frowned, dropping his arm and sliding his hand back through his hair. He headed for the kitchen, filling up a glass of water and draining in, leaning against the counter.

Misha cleared his throat and stepped back. “I think I’ll go check on Chad.” He squeezed Sandy’s shoulder before turning and heading down the hall to his bedroom.

“Everything okay?” Sandy asked quietly, leaning slightly toward Jensen but glancing over at Jared still in the kitchen.

“I have no idea,” Jensen said softly. “He - maybe you should talk to him. I mean, I can leave. This was probably far harder than he thought.” Jensen stepped back slightly, eyes on Jared’s tight shoulders.

“Actually I thought Chad would try and kill you,” Jared muttered, setting his glass down and walking their way. “This apartment echoes everything.” He glanced toward Sandy with a slight smirk, she knew this. Looking back at Jensen, Jared sighed. “You gonna stick around?”

“If you want me to.” Jensen looked from Jared to Sandy and then back.

“He’s very self-conscious,” Jared murmured, looking over at Sandy and smiling softly.

“Yeah well you’re a jerk sometimes.” Sandy shrugged and reached forward, patting Jensen’s arm. “Good luck.”

Jared watched her turn and walk down the hall, waiting until the door clicked shut before looking back at Jensen. “She’s kind of right you know.”

“About?” Jensen was still looking around the apartment. It might be normal to them but it had been a long time since he’d been welcomed into someone’s home. Looking back at Jared, he frowned. “The jerk thing?”

“Yeah, the jerk thing.” Jared nodded and shrugged, stepping back and turning to the hallway. “Come on, I’m sure you know which room is mine.”

“From the outside, yeah,” Jensen muttered as he followed Jared. He could hear soft voices coming from Chad and Misha, music in Sandy’s room. There were lots of sounds in the building and he was distracted by them, almost bumping into Jared when they arrived at his door.

“So you have like, super hearing right?” Jared could tell Jensen was listening to _something_. He recognized that intent, drifting face. Like Jensen was seeing something normal people couldn’t. He pushed his bedroom door open, stepping into the room and instantly crossing to scoop up clothes from the floor. He was kind of a slob. “Are Misha and Chad fighting?”

"Chad is still angry but Misha is speaking very quietly. I'll let you know if I hear anything that sounds like _stake_ or _kill_. Sandy was nice to me. She wasn't unkind the first night I was here. I think she actually tried to understand." Jensen stood by the open door and leaned against the wall, tucking his hands behind him.

Dropping the clothes in his basket, Jared sighed softly and turned to Jensen, running his hands back through his hair. “You know, I wasn’t worried about Chad staking you. He wouldn’t be able to get past me. I just, want to make sure they’re okay, together, you know? Because if I did something that causes a rift between them, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“I would have let him,” Jensen said quietly.

“You would have let him hurt you?” Jared frowned, shaking his head slowly. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I wanted you to trust me.” There wasn’t any question in Jensen’s mind that he would have done anything to earn that trust.

“So you think you’ll gain my trust by letting Chad try and kill you?” Jared crossed to his bed, sitting at the foot and sighing. “Do you think I want you hurt?”

“I _think_ there are very few things I’m sure of anymore.” Jensen walked over to Jared and as soon as he was able, slid his fingers through the stray wisps of hair on his forehead. “I can try and learn things though. Start over again.”

“And the love thing?” Jared murmured, looking up at the vampire. “You said you’d explain it to me. It’s... different?”

"Stronger, it happens quicker. It's like our beings just - become _in love_. We're not - we find our mate and _we are_. It's never happened to me before. I wanted to be near you - it's why I risked so much to come here, sit in your window and watch you sleep night after night." Jensen's fingers combed through Jared's hair and settled on the back of his neck.

“Does it happen that way for all vampires?” Jared closed his eyes, trying to take comfort from the touch. It was almost painful to accept the idea that the creatures he’d hated for so long, the ones he’d been killing without thought, could really feel all of these things. Could _love_.

"The few that I've spent enough time with to actually speak to. I've never been one for _teaming_ up with others. It's always been more my style to lay low, keep out of trouble. I was only there the night I first saw you because I followed one of the younger vampires." Jensen sat down behind Jared, hand sliding down the man's back.

“Why?” Jared felt like he had a million questions, and the softer Jensen’s touches felt, the easier it was to relax into him. “Were you wanting to join up with them?”

"You might find this hard to believe. I _wanted_ to reason with them. And when that failed. I was going to kill them." Jensen felt the muscles in Jared's back tighten as he spoke. He knew that each time he tried to tell the hunter the truth that he was risking another misunderstanding.

“Reason with them?” Jared scrunched his face up, confused. “You wanted them to stop killing people?” Considering what Jensen had done in his past, Jared was having a hard time believing it.

“I’ve not taken a life deliberately since… the village. There have been times when I’ve been too hungry or wounded and been unable to stop myself… but it was never by choice.” Jensen dropped his hand to the bed and closed his eyes for a few moments. “I find _other_ ways to work out my frustrations.”

“Like sex?” The whole vampire thing still remained a puzzle to Jared but he found, the more he considered Jensen wanting to turn him, the more he wanted to know. Just in case. “Or, fighting?”

Jensen shrugged. “Or both.” He nudged Jared with his shoulder, lips curving into a slight smile.

Laughing softly, Jared nodded, knowing when it came to them that seemed to be the norm. “So now, you feed and don’t kill? And you’ve been simply traveling? Do you have a home?”

"I feed. I try not to kill. I haven't had a home in a very long time." Once upon a time, Jensen had tried to settle somewhere but it was difficult. He always seemed to feel as though he was _drifting_ or _searching_. "It's not difficult to find places to sleep. I often stay with the ones..."

Jared’s heart sped up a little, his stomach churning, and it took him a moment to realize what he was feeling was jealousy. Looking over at the vampire, he wet his lips and tried to clarify things. “You stay with who? The people you sleep with?”

“I don’t have sex with all the people I feed from. Just like I don’t feed from everyone. It's all very different and…” Jensen wasn’t sure he could explain the way he was drawn to some people and not others. “I suppose it’s two different kinds of attraction. God, Jared… is this helping you to understand or making you feel worse? You’re not looking at me and I can hear your heart…”

“I’m just trying to understand.” Jared rubbed along the back of his neck, exhaling slowly. “Have you ever been in love before - or, I mean, the love thing, the pull you were talking about, have you had that before?”

“With a human? Since I was changed? No. Never until the moment I saw you.” Jensen turned and raised his hand, slowly dropping his palm to Jared’s shoulder. “Jared - I can’t explain everything. I don’t know how it all works, but I _do_ know that I feel safer here… more relaxed, peaceful. If all I could have was to sit outside that damn window all night and nothing more then I would willingly do it.”

“So you’ll never go,” Jared whispered, trying to process the idea. “As long as I’m alive, you... you’ll always be near?” Jared curled his fingers over his thighs, squeezing as if he needed to remind himself he was still awake, this wasn’t a dream.

"If you ask me to leave then I will. If you want me here then no, I won't ever leave you while you're alive." Jensen's expression softened, his lashes falling to his cheeks again. "I would change you if you ever felt - but you don't have to. I'll stay. Without that."

Swallowing thickly, Jared closed his eyes, body turning slightly into Jensen’s. “What would you do if I asked you to leave? I mean, would you go, leave this town?” The idea of Jensen leaving made him feel slightly sick but Jared still hadn’t grasped all of this.

“Yes, I would try to get as far away as possible. Find somewhere else to… be. Is that what you want?” Jensen’s throat tightened in a way it hadn’t since he was a very young man. The very thought of leaving Jared made his chest ache.

Inhaling sharply, Jared shook his head for several moments, not quite able to form words. “No. That’s not what I want.” It was oddly comforting, the way Jensen answered every question, didn’t hesitate. Jared wasn’t even wondering if these were lies, he _knew_ it was the truth. “Can you still hear Chad and Misha?”

Jensen laughed softly. "I'm trying to ignore it. They're… not fighting."

“Wha- _oh_.” Jared laughed, shaking his head and pushing off the bed. He crossed the room, stopping long enough to flick the door shut, stopping by the far wall and bounding his fist against it. He turned back to Jensen with a slight smile and by the time he was sitting on the bed once more music was playing in the room beside his. “That probably doesn’t help much huh?”

Jensen shrugged. “I’m used to hearing things that I - really don’t want to hear. So… are you? You’re thinking about… us?” Smiling, Jensen shifted closer, back into the constant circle of heat that was around Jared.

“Yeah,” Jared whispered, watching his feet as he kicked out of his shoes. “You know, when I was fourteen, I thought I was in love with Chad.” Jared looked over at Jensen, his smile widening. “Like, absolutely sure I was. I use to even draw our names in hearts together, like Sandy used to. She was really into some boy band back then.”

“Chad?” Jensen sounded a little more surprised than he’d meant to. “He, uh, he doesn’t seem your type.” Laughing softly he scratched at the side of his nose. “Doesn’t seem like anyone’s type,” he muttered.

“He’s not so bad.” Jared couldn’t help laughing at that, turning and drawing his leg up between them on the bed. “He was different back then too. It was a little before Jason died. He was our friend, we all hung out together and it just, I don’t know, hit Chad hard, made us all face reality. Anyway, Chad and Misha were already messing around back then. I remember how crushed I felt when I found out they were together.”

Jensen tilted his head in a slight nod of agreement. “Well, I know loss makes people do strange things. It does turn the world a little upside down sometimes. And you? You’ve been with no one because… because you still care for Chad?” Jensen flicked at non-existent lint on his jeans as he tried to look casual. Inside, he was knotted up so tight that he could hardly move.

Head tilting back, Jared couldn’t fight the large wave of laughter, probably continuing on louder and longer than necessary. Jared was still trying to be okay, being here, with Jensen. And admitting that he liked it. “God, no. No way. Sometimes I can hardly stand Chad. I’ve been with no one because, it’s, god, why get attached? It’s a miracle the four of us have lived this long. More than half the kids I went to high school with are dead, my parents hate me. Just haven’t really had room for anyone else in my life, another person to lose. And I wanted, wanted my first time to be, you know…”

“What? Your first time what?” Jensen’s fingers caught Jared’s hair and held his head back so he could lean in closer, breathe his way along the man’s outstretched neck.

“God,” Jared whispered, body tilting toward Jensen’s. He already wanted more, his heart was rapidly picking up speed. “Wanted it to matter,” Jared breathed, hand sliding over Jensen’s arm. “Jensen?”

“What?” Jensen was ready to let go in an instant if that’s what Jared wanted.

Jared’s hand slid up over Jensen’s shoulder, across to his neck. “I don’t think I have any more questions now. You- you can ask me some, if you want. Or…”

"What do you want?" Jensen spun quickly and dragged Jared back until he was lying on the bed. Staring down at him, Jensen licked his lips. "That's my question."

The sudden movement surprised Jared and he panted slightly, staring up at Jensen. “I... what if I feel like it’s wrong? To want what I want?” Apparently he wasn’t as done with his questions as he’d thought.

"That's another question," Jensen said softly. Smiling he leaned down and kissed his way along Jared's cheekbone. "What feels wrong? Tell me." His hand dragged down Jared's chest, bunching up the soft cotton of his t-shirt and tugging it slowly higher.

Jared knew there was no hiding his arousal. He knew Jensen could hear his heart racing and feel the heat from his body. He had to push past the resistance once more, let himself _have_ this. “Everything,” he whispered, closing his eyes and arching up into the touch of the vampire. “Because I want, this touch, your… I want you to bite-” Jared bit down on his lip, pulling in a quick breath.

Jensen shivered and tilted his head to watch the single bead of sweat tracing the curve of Jared's neck. "It felt good, when I drank from you…" His tongue chased the words along Jared's skin and he heard the steady thump of the hunter's heart skip a beat.

“Y-yes. More than, more than I thought.” Jared moaned softly, eyes falling closed as his head curved back into the pillow, giving Jensen’s lips more room. This was so much more than Jared had felt, and really his mind was having trouble getting over the idea of Jensen even there on his bed. “Do I… taste different?”

Settling down against Jared's chest, Jensen smiled against the hunter's warm skin. "Yes, so much better - different." Moaning softly Jensen felt the prick of his teeth on his bottom lip and nuzzled into the crook of Jared's shoulder. "Perfect," he whispered in between kisses.

“Do it,” Jared whispered, a low ache in his body clenching with the words. “I know you want to.”

Jensen pulled up slowly until he could see Jared's eyes. His hand slid past the shirt and onto the scalding flesh of Jared's abs. There was nothing that Jensen wanted more than to hear Jared say the words, to ask him. His hand slid lower, over the worn leather of Jared's belt, over the bulge growing under his jeans. "Do...what?"

“Jensen,” Jared moaned low in his throat, arching up into the ghosting pass of the vampire’s hand, not near enough friction. His hips fell back on the bed and he was already panting softly, head rolling slowly along the pillow. “Bite me,” he whispered, shuddering from the words and the heat saying them sent through him. “Want- want to feel you.”

"God," Jensen whispered. He knew he wanted it - those words. But hearing them, hearing _Jared_ say them sent some kind of ripple through his body that set him on edge. "And I want to touch you. _All_ of you."

Thick desire and want curled through Jared and he nodded, slowly tilting his head up to meet the vampire’s eyes. In the near dark of the room they looked almost eerie, glowing, and Jared was moving forward without thought. He’d intended on a hard kiss, just _taking_ what he wanted, but his lips moved soft and gentle over Jensen’s. Like his body was saying something he couldn’t, his fingers coming to rest on the vampire’s jaw.

The heat of Jared's mouth burned hotter than Jensen remembered and he stayed there, near frozen, almost _too_ caught up in it. Jared's fingers brushed along his skin and Jensen felt it everywhere, the spark of desire traveling the length of his body.

Gasping softly, Jensen pulled back so he could draw in the sweet, moist heat of Jared's breath. It was like breathing in fire, pulling Jared into him and he closed his eyes as his fingers pulled back up Jared's body. "Get undressed," he whispered.

The first real spark of nerves and anticipation crawled up in Jared and he sat back slightly, staring at Jensen until the vampire’s eyes opened. Wetting his lips slowly, he slid off the side of the bed and stood, not taking his gaze from Jensen’s as he grasped the edge of his shirt and slowly lifted up.

Jared wasn’t ashamed of his body, he worked hard - both in a gym and hunting - and even with his lack of experience he knew he had to at least look appealing. Plus, there was something intoxicating about Jensen’s gaze on him so he simply continued to watch the vampire watch him. He could see the darkening green eyes follow the trail down of his fingers, fixated as he flicked his button free and dragged the zipper down.

As his thumbs hooked under the denim his breath caught in his throat, heart skipping a beat. Having Jensen watch him like there was no one else in the world, like there was nothing more he’d rather see, was almost enough to make Jared feel a little dizzy. He pushed his jeans and briefs down in one fluid movement, swaying forward then stepping back, holding out his hand. “Your turn.”

Jensen's lashes fluttered as he let his gaze travel down Jared's body. Each line and curve, each shadow, each dip of flesh was as perfect as he had imagined it would be. Standing, he slid his fingers over Jared's palm and let the hunter pull him to his feet. There was no way that he could prevent his other hand from fitting over Jared's hip for a few moments. "You feel… good," he said softly as he stepped closer.

“Not too warm?” Jared wondered about that. Jensen’s touch always felt so icy, pleasantly so but certainly noticeable. He smiled slightly down at Jensen, releasing his hand and reaching forward to tuck his fingers under the vampire’s shirt.

"I like it, I like the warmth - and it's the only time everything stops aching." Jensen frowned, unable to find a better way to explain it. Licking his lips nervously, Jensen pulled his hands back long enough to shrug off his jacket and begin unbuttoning his shirt.

His eyes travelled down Jared's body again and he bit down hard on his bottom lip when he say Jared's swollen shaft. "Jared... I-" Jensen closed his eyes, fingers stilling on his buttons as emotion and desire tangled inside him.

“You can tell me,” Jared murmured and reached out, knocking Jensen’s hands away and finishing off the row of buttons. He had to keep reminding himself it was okay to touch, okay to move his hands along Jensen’s chest and slide his shirt off his shoulders.

Something clicked in Jared, a reality he already knew, that Jensen wasn’t all those other vampires. Just like Jared wasn’t responsible for all the death Jensen had pointed out in a conversation before, Jensen wasn’t a _creature_. “I want to hear it,” he whispered, watching his fingers move down Jensen’s chest, over sculpted abs, fingers dipping just beneath cold denim.

"I love you and I want you and I…" Jensen held up a shaking hand and stared at it as though he couldn't quite understand the way that being near to Jared was affecting him. "Jared," he whispered and then he moved. Grabbing Jared's arms he spun the man and slammed him back against the wall as his desire overtook his restraint.

Dragging he mouth roughly along Jared's shoulder, Jensen moaned as the points of his teeth scraped at the flesh. Jared's hands were still on him, and when Jensen realized - once more - that Jared wasn't pushing him away he was at the man's throat, teeth bared, body shaking.

The sharp ache that rocked through Jared surprised him, he’d never _wanted_ like this. And the way Jensen so easily moved him, the ghosting of slight pain along his skin, had Jared tipping his head further back, hips moving up. “Jensen,” Jared whispered, the name falling in a soft pant from his lips.

Jared could feel the vampire holding back, just barely, and Jared thought he was going to lose his mind. “Please, I... I...” Jared moaned, closing his eyes against the dizzying wave. There was so much he wanted to say but he couldn’t find the words, simply knew that he wanted and Jensen was driving him crazy.

Growling softly, Jensen shoved Jared back and worked at his own belt and jeans, shoving them down then giving in and grabbing Jared. Their mouths crashed together hard, the taste of blood like a drug mingling with the pleasure of their mouths moving together.

Jared's hands were shoving at the denim still hanging on Jensen's hips and he shifted back slightly. Thrusting his tongue forward he grabbed a handful of Jared's hair and gripped it tightly.

Jared moaned loudly into the kiss, pushing at denim until it slipped down Jensen’s legs. He felt the vampire kick the material off then Jared’s hands were curling over cool skin, dragging Jensen forward. At the first touch of their hips together, a clash of ice and fire, Jared gasped into the kiss, body working hard forward for more friction.

“Jen-” He moaned into the next pass of their lips, fingers sliding up to trace over Jensen’s hipbones. It was a little like he couldn’t get enough and his leg slid up, hooking over the back of the vampire’s thigh and drawing him hard forward.

"Fuck," Jensen whispered. His hands slid down Jared's sides and curved over his ass to lift him. The moment Jared's legs wrapped around his body, Jensen was sure he could die all over again. The heat of Jared was all around him, the taste of his sweat salt and spice in the kiss. Each time Jared moaned, Jensen felt like his body was going to catch fire.

Stumbling back toward the bed, Jensen spun and they fell down on to the mattress. The moan that tore out of Jensen's chest was more like a sob than anything else and he pushed up off Jared's body to slide his cock along his lover's.

Back arching into the bed, Jared moaned too loud but he didn’t care, the way Jensen’s body moved over him it was impossible not to. His fingers curled, nails dragging down Jensen’s back and sliding up once more, scraping hard over the skin. “Oh god,” Jared groaned as Jensen’s hips slid back and rocked forward once more.

Straining up, Jared caught Jensen’s lips in a kiss once more, teeth sinking into the vampire’s bottom lip and drawing out slowly. It was official, he was completely addicted. “Jen, I- I need- _god_.”

Whatever resolve Jensen had snapped and on the next long slide of their bodies together he dropped down and sank his teeth into Jared's neck. The first burst of blood made his body jolt with absolutely pleasure. Jared cried out and Jensen's entire body was tingling. Sucking hard on the skin, he was rewarded with a mouthful of warm, thick, sweetness and another moan.

His world was spinning. All his thoughts were of _Jared_ and he'd never felt anything like the way his body was warmed by the man beneath him. His hand slid down Jared's body so he could curl his fingers around his lover's swollen cock.

The air was rushing faster from Jared’s lungs then he could pull in, leaving him dizzy and panting. His head rolled back into the bed as his hips jerked up into Jensen’s cool fingers. Jared felt like he was falling apart from the inside, like Jensen was going to pull him inside out. If he was going to die, this would be the perfect way to go.

Each pull of blood from him he seemed to feel, Jensen’s lips moving over his skin, and Jared’s heels dug hard into the mattress. “Jensen, fuck, god,” Jared gasped, dropping his forearm over his arm before he could call out again. He was going to wake the entire fucking building if he didn’t pass out first.

Jensen knew he had to stop; Jared was intoxicating and he was seconds away from losing his ability to think. Tearing his mouth away was the hardest thing he'd ever done and he found himself panting, against Jared's neck and whimpering as he stroked his lover's shaft clumsily. Moaning Jared's name Jensen thrust against Jared's hip as his fingers swept over the man's hard flesh.

Hand falling to the bed, Jared slapped down at the blanket then curled it beneath his fist, body jolting up now into Jensen’s fingers. He couldn’t even get enough air to tell Jensen it was too much, he was going to come, he’d never felt any sort of pleasure like this and he didn’t want it to be over so soon.

“Je-” Jared managed half a gasp before his orgasm slammed hard into him, rolling through his body in thick waves that caused him to shudder and thrust up into Jensen’s grip. His arm dropped over his face as he rode out the flare of heat, shame, embarrassment, too much for his mind to properly hand.

Growling softly Jensen pulled Jared's arm away from his face. "Look at me," he rasped. Jared was beautiful, his body flushed, glistening with sweat and Jensen couldn’t stand the thought of missing any of it. Every muscle in the hunter's body tightened, throbbing with his release and Jensen body jolted forward as his own pleasure became too much. Almost the moment their eyes met Jensen came; his body lurched forward, lips sliding over Jared's as though he could draw more life, more heat.

Jared was pretty sure he passed out with Jensen’s lips on him, losing consciousness for a few minutes at least. But Jensen’s lips were still there when he managed to blink his eyes open once more, still sucking in deep breaths to calm his racing heart. His hand moved over Jensen’s shoulder, down along the vampire’s side, and he huffed out a small laugh. “Wow.”

Jensen laughed softly as he started to return to himself. The room was still a little off kilter and he dragged his tongue down to the wound on Jared's neck, lapping at it softly. Sliding his hand up through the slick come covering Jared's abs Jensen let out a soft sigh and pressed a gentle kiss to the wound.

Eyes falling closed with the slowing of his breath, Jared let his hand brush back through Jensen’s hair. His chest felt all tight, weird, and he didn’t know where to begin sorting through the mess. His body tensed slightly, the emotions colliding, and he sucked in a sharp breath to hopefully keep from freaking out.

"Jared?" Jensen pushed himself up onto his elbow and swept the damp hair back off his lover's forehead. Jensen's brow furrowed as the tension bled into him. "Did I - are you okay?"

“I- no. Yes. _God_ , I don’t know.” Jared pushed up so he was sitting, swaying for a moment with the dizzying rush. He wasn’t sure if that was because of the blood Jensen took or because of the mind-blowing orgasm. Probably both. He shifted on the bed, pulling a pillow over his lap as he was hit with a surprising wave of shy nerves. “I’m feeling, so much, and, and I don’t know how… how do I become okay with this?”

"Hey, whoa, wait." Jensen sat up and hesitated only a moment before sliding his arm over Jared's shoulders. "What are you…" Jensen's mouth opened then closed, his mind still whirling with pleasure that was now tinged with panic.

Leaning forward slightly, Jensen smiled softly and curled two fingers under Jared's chin to get him to meet his gaze. "How can you not be okay with _this_? I love you, you… I-I- there's nothing that's ever made me feel - like I feel now. Not ever." His thumb swept over Jared's bottom lip and his chest tightened with regret. He'd never wanted anything he did to make Jared feel ashamed.

“I don’t know how to accept the way I feel about you,” Jared whispered, closing his eyes because there was too much emotion in Jensen’s eyes. It was all laid out there, everything the vampire felt, and Jared wished he could believe his own emotions as easily. “I just, I’ve never felt something so good. And I dream about you. And I feel a little sick when I think about you not being around anymore but it’s like there’s some part of my brain that hears the word vampire and gets stuck.”

“Or maybe I’m just unable to really feel this,” Jared muttered, shaking his head then digging both heels of his palms against his eyes. “That- I could- I might be in love with you and I don’t know how to handle that. What to do about it.” Jared groaned and twisted around, flopping flat on his stomach on the bed. “And I just came embarrassingly fast which really doesn’t help things.”

"Jared? Breathe." Jensen leaned in closer and pressed his forehead to Jared's cheek. "You don't need to know all the answers right this minute, okay? I - I'm not going anywhere unless you need me to. I don't expect anything, I just wanna be near you." Jensen shrugged and turned his head enough to press a kiss to Jared's cheek. “I wish I'd met you before," he whispered.

“Before you became a vampire?” Jared laughed softly, leaning into Jensen and exhaling slowly. “What year did um, I mean, I know you’re about two hundred right? When was it?” This was a lot easier than thinking about his feelings.

Jensen slid both arms around Jared and pulled him close against his chest. He felt his lover resist at first and then sink against him almost gratefully. "Don't you know it's rude to ask how old your lover is?"

“Right. So you have no desire to know how old I am?” Jared chuckled quietly and shook his head. “And I’m pretty sure that’s a woman. You know, rude to ask a woman her age.”

Jensen laughed softly as he felt Jared relax in his arms. "Vampire rule number two: don't ask how old we are, we get all huffy and stuck up."

Pursing his lips, Jared nodded and shifted until he was more comfortable, Jensen’s body a firm, cool weight against him. “Okay, I won’t ask,” he said softly, swallowing down another rise of emotion. “What time will you have to leave?”

"After you fall asleep," Jensen whispered against Jared's hair, "and I'm two hundred and seven. How old _are_ you anyway, Jared?" Jensen's lips twitched into a smile and he rubbed the disappearing knot of tension in Jared's back.

“Twenty,” Jared murmured. It sounded way too young compared to _two hundred and seven_ but it wasn’t like he was unaware of Jensen’s immortality. “After I fall asleep?” Jared repeated, blinking his eyes a few times to shake off the heaviness. He was maybe a little concerned that the peace between them wouldn’t last through the too bright sunlight of the next day - and the inevitable confrontation with Chad.

"I was twenty-four, when..." Jensen smoothed Jared's hair back from his temple and nuzzled into the silky locks. "See? We're not so different."

Jared snorted a disbelieving laugh. “Oh yeah, we’re like twins.” He shifted up slightly, staring at Jensen’s soft features, like nothing could be more relaxing than being here. Jared dropped back down, the weariness from the week spent sick, then the tension finally worked off with Jensen, he wasn’t going to win his battle to stay up long. “Where do you stay now?”

Jensen smiled crookedly and wrinkled his nose. "In the basement of your building," he said softly.

Pushing up once more, Jared stared down at Jensen, brows drawn together. “Really? You- this whole time?”

"Is that bad?" Jensen shrugged and looked away. "I said I liked being near you." He hadn't been lying about that. The closer he was to Jared, the better he felt. “I can go somewhere else if you like - but I’ll hate it.” He’d long ago decided that honesty would be the best policy where Jared was concerned.

“You’re ready for me to tell you to go at any moment huh?” Jared frowned slightly, flopping back on the pillow and blinking up at the ceiling. “You… I guess you don’t trust that yet huh? That I won’t do that? Send you away I mean.”

"You're scared, I can feel it. You're conflicted, we're kind of walking in new territory here, you and I." Jensen lay back down beside Jared and sighed. "I can wait. I have nothing but time and contrary to what you might think I'm very patient."

Jensen kissed Jared’s shoulder and smiled. “I don’t think you’ll send me away but it’s okay if you need time. I trust you.”

Jared nodded slowly, shifting back a moment later to slip under the blanket. He hesitated a beat then pulled the blanket over Jensen as well, slowly shifting forward until he was laying half on Jensen. “Do you sleep?”

Jensen chuckled. "I do, and I drink coffee and I even thought I had a cold once but… I think it was dust." The heat of Jared's body was soothing and Jensen closed his eyes, relaxing back into the soft bed.

“So, you could stay here,” Jared said quietly, laying his head on Jensen’s shoulder. “It’s just-” he interrupted before Jensen could say whatever he’d drawn in breath to say. “I have three best friends and they’re great, and I love them like family, but I’m lonely. And, and you make me feel, not so lonely.” Jared exhaled shakily, ghosting his fingers over Jensen’s chest. “So maybe sometime you could. We could cover the window.”

Jensen pressed his cheek to Jared’s hair and rolled into the heat of him. “I’d like that. When… when your friends are ready though?”

“When you want,” Jared protested quietly, hand flattening out on Jensen’s chest. “They have to - I mean, it’s just, my turn now, you know? To have someone. So, yeah.”

Jensen hesitated a few moments, squeezed Jared tighter and then pushed him off gently so he could get up. In spite of the shocked look on the hunter's face Jensen walked around the foot of the bed and then smiled before leaning down and yanking the thickest quilt off. Padding over to the window he flipped it up over the top of the curtain rod and used some books to weigh the bottom of it down.

Grinning he turned back to Jared and shrugged. "Temporary, for the times I stay. Until… you know." He shrugged again and returned to the bed so he could pull Jared back across his body. “Okay?”

Pressing up against Jensen’s side once more, Jared bit down on his lip, nodding slowly and sliding his arm across the vampire’s body. “Until I decide if I want to be a vampire or not?” Jared suggested quietly, a little surprised how easy it was to ask that. He wasn’t as freaked out as he’d initially been, even if his mind wouldn’t quite let him accept it yet.

"If… yes, it's a lot to think about." Jensen pressed his lips to the top of Jared's head and cinched his arm tight around the hunter. "One thing at a time. First you have to get used to being head over heels in love with the most amazing vampire in the world. Hottest too probably, best fighter."

Jared snorted and rolled his eyes, pressing a little closer to Jensen regardless. “No ego on you at all, clearly.” The idea of being head over heels in love with Jensen wasn’t as scary as it should have been. Jared thought eventually he’d get used to that. “Hunt with us.”

“You… what?” Jensen pushed up on his elbow so he could stare down at Jared. The hunter looked more relaxed than Jensen had ever seen him.

“Hunt with us,” Jared repeated, shifting so he could stare up at Jensen with a slight smile. “You said you wanted to stop those vampires, right? So, maybe if you hunted with us, you could try talking with them first, if they don’t listen or want nothing to do with you then we come in. We could always use the extra help.”

Jensen frowned and shifted back slightly. "Crazy," he muttered. "Chad wouldn't go for that in a million years and even I'm not sure I have that long. Besides, how can I protect _you_ if I'm protecting all of them?" Shaking his head Jensen felt a swell of protectiveness and pulled Jared a little closer.

“But it would kill me to lose any of them. And Chad, he might come around, you never know.” Jared actually wasn’t too sure about that. Chad could hold a grudge better than anyone he knew. “Well, alright. Maybe Chad wouldn’t but… we’re only human. At any moment we could slip up. I worry, probably too much, about all of us.”

"You do worry too much. You're twenty years old. That's… you should be partying, studying, meeting people - living it up. Not… this. Well, you should be doing… me." Jensen's expression softened. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

“Then what did you mean?” Jared’s brows rose, a slight smirk on his face. “This isn’t really much of a party town. People have learned not to go out at night if they can help it. And, I’m older for my age, or whatever.”

“We could leave,” Jensen said quietly. “Just you and me.”

“And what about Sandy? And Chad and Misha. I can’t just…” Jared sighed, sliding his hand back through his hair. “How do I leave them? Didn’t you have family when you were changed? Can you… tell me about it? How it happened?”

" _That_ is a very long story. Jared? It's... we don't have to plan it all right this moment. Time is kind of fluid, you know." Jensen smiled and tilted his chin up to press his lips to the cool surface of Jared's jaw.

“Okay,” Jared whispered, closing his eyes and biting back the questions he felt like asking. He’d been constantly pestering Jensen and he knew that had to get annoying. “So... are we, like, dating or something?” Jared scrunched his face up slightly at the thought and laughed. “Is my first boyfriend a vampire?”

"You've never had... where have you been hiding?" Jensen lifted his head again and rubbed the tip of his nose against Jared's cheek. "I like the way your heart sounds," he murmured. It was like being completely wrapped up in _only Jared_ ; the scent of him, the sounds, blood whooshing, heart beating.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Jared murmured and slid his hand back through the vampire’s hair, smiling up at the ceiling. “You’ve gotten good at that.”

"What? Am I your boyfriend? I'm two hundred years old - can I be your... lover or something that sounds more sophisticated?" Jensen nipped lightly at Jared's neck and shivered when his tongue swept over the skin.

“Yeah, that’s okay.” Jared laughed softly, not sure why it really mattered. It wasn’t like he had anyone to talk about Jensen to. “How much of my blood can you drink without hurting me?” Tilting his head down, Jared met Jensen’s eyes and grinned. “I could ask you a million questions so you’re gonna have to tell me when to stop.”

"A fair amount of blood... but not often. I... I don't want you to get ill. I didn't take much tonight from you..." Jensen sighed and sucked on the warm skin below Jared's jaw. There was still the slightest flavor of blood on the skin and his tongue swept it up greedily.

“But, if you needed to, you could take more?” Jared’s voice was soft as he tilted his head back, giving Jensen’s lips more room. “Could you survive... on just my blood?”

“Jared I’m not using you like that.” Jensen pulled back slightly and tried to calm himself. Just the slightest taste of the hunter’s blood and he wanted him again. It was a never-ending cycle.

Blinking his eyes open, Jared tilted his head up to look at the vampire once more. “I wouldn’t see it like that. I don’t know, just, it feels really intimate. When you drink from me you know? So the idea of you having that with someone else... I don’t like it.” Jared shrugged, shifting on the bed under the uncomfortable press of jealousy.

"It is intimate, it's... from you it's amazing. It's different with others... Jared? God, how can you know you want to offer that to me? That's more. That's so much more than a _commitment_. If that's going to make you feel better, for now, I won't drink from anyone else." Jensen's brow furrowed and he closed his eyes. It would be a challenge but he would manage it somehow.

“Not if it’s going to affect you. You shouldn’t be weak because I’m jealous.” Jared sighed and wrapped his arms slowly around Jensen, drawing him close. “I’m just, trying to find my place I guess, with the us thing. You, you already know you love me, and you want me, and I know you’re absolutely certain and okay with all of that. And I’m just... I have to keep reminding myself that it’s okay to touch you, that I’m not a bad person because I think about you feeding from me and, and fucking me so...” Jared trailed off, rubbing at the blush on his cheeks.

Emotion swelled in Jensen again and he pressed forward until he was lying over Jared, trapping him there. "It's okay to want those things, from me. I'm not like the ones you hunt. I'm made for you - you're made for me." Licking his lips Jensen let his mouth fall to Jared's neck and sank his teeth in as gently as he could.

Pleasure burned sharp through Jared, his head tilting back as his hand slid along Jensen’s cool smooth skin. “God, Jen,” Jared moaned softly, pulling in slow, even breaths as he rode out each wave of sensation. It was thrilling to know this never changed. It still felt just as good, and his body was drawn to Jensen’s. “M-made, for you,” he whispered, almost in a dazed awe, accepting that it could be true.

Jared's blood was thick, rich with his essence and Jensen moaned softly as he drank slowly. Savoring every single drop of blood that pulsed hot and slick across his tongue. His hand slid up so he could ghost his fingers across Jared's lips before sweep them across the man's cheek. His skin was like fire and warmed Jensen, the blood warming him from the inside out like a slow burn.

Catching Jensen’s wrist, Jared dragged the vampire’s hand down and pressed it over his chest. He couldn’t say that he loved Jensen, only that he thought he could, that he was maybe heading that way, and maybe for the first time there was no fear at all accepting that idea. The feel of Jensen drinking from him was only full of pleasure and he slid his fingers between the vampire’s, squeezing. “Kiss me,” he murmured, knowing if they couldn’t Jared might do something crazy, like tell Jensen never to stop.

Lifting his head with a gasp, Jensen panted softly for a few moments. He swept his tongue over the puncture marks and pulled back bleary eyed and a little dizzy. Pressing forward, he leaned in to kiss Jared forgetting about the blood lingering in his mouth until it was too late.

The blood on Jensen’s lips was coppery and warm and Jared considered pulling back. But, something about Jensen’s tongue sliding forward, sweeping along his own, caught that spark of pleasure in Jared once more. Pressing up, he moaned and dragged Jensen closer, sucking at the coppery taste, spreading his legs to wrap around Jensen’s hips.

Jensen let out a soft growl as Jared's legs tightened around him. He could spend a hundred more lifetimes getting to know the young hunter no matter what decisions lay before them.


End file.
